Wickremesinghe returns home from high profile US visit

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 November 2003, 02:56 GMT]
United National Front (UNF) government ministers, parliamentarians and party activists thronged the country's international airport and accorded warm welcome to the Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremesinghe when he returned home Friday morning around 8.00am after a high profile official tour to the United States of America (USA) after meeting President George W.Bush, political sources said.


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Kumaratunga presides over first NSC meeting

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 November 2003, 16:04 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunga, Thursday presided over the first meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) after she dismissed the defense minister of the United National Front (UNF) government, Mr.Tilak Marapone, Presidential secretariat sources said.


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UNF urges SL President to reconvene parliament

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 November 2003, 11:49 GMT]
United National Front(UNF) government spokesman and Minister of Constitutional Affairs Mr. G.L.Peiris said Thursday that the President should summon the parliament immediately and to restore the three ministries to Ministers Mr.Tilak Marapone, Mr.John Amaratunge and Mr.Imtiaz Bakir Markar. "The government would decide on the future course of action once the Prime Minister returns home," said Mr.Peiris at the press briefing held Thursday afternoon, media sources said


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UNF leaders prepare to welcome Sri Lanka’s PM

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 November 2003, 03:26 GMT]
Leaders of the United National Front government are making elaborate arrangements to accord a rousing welcome to the Prime Minister, Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe, at the Katunayake International Airport (KIA) when he returns home Friday after a three day high profile official visit to the United States, UNF sources said.
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Sri Lanka crisis draws global media attention

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 November 2003, 00:10 GMT]
Tuesday’s sacking of key ministers of defense, interior and information by Sri Lanka’s President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunga, and her prorogation of parliament and subsequent declaration of emergency have elicited concerns from several Western governments and prompted global coverage in leading newspapers.
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TNA parliamentarians extend support to UNF government

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 November 2003, 16:16 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians Thursday decided to support the motion of vote of confidence in the United National Front government, led by its Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe, in Sri Lanka's parliament when it meets after prorogation. The notice of the motion is likely to be handed over to the Speaker Wednesday with signatures of about 130 parliamentarians, the UNF Chief Whip and Minister Mr.Mahinda Samarasinghe said Wednesday.
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"Parties must work together to diffuse present crisis" - Cushnahan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 November 2003, 13:31 GMT]
In a press release today, Fine Gael Member of European Parliament (MEP) John Cushnahan said that "despite the alarming turn of events over the last 24 hours, they must work together to diffuse the current crisis and ensure the present peace process does not unravel." John Cushnahan, who returned yesterday from Sri Lanka where he was continuing his involvement with the Sri Lankan Peace Process, will raise the issue at today's plenary session of the European Parliament.
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US warns of "negative effect on Peace Process"

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 November 2003, 12:50 GMT]
U.S. State Department Deputy Spokesman Adam Ereli expressed concern that President Kumaratunga’s decision to sack three government ministers, suspend parliament, and deploy troops around the capital “could have a negative effect on the peace process and talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam,” the Office of Public Diplomacy, Embassy of United States of America in Colombo said in a press release issued Wednesday.
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TNA urges Sri Lankan President to respect people's verdict

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 November 2003, 10:31 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance Wednesday urged Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge to respect the verdict of the people at the parliamentary election held in December 2001. “Violation of democratic rules of Governance will inevitably lead to a situation of chaos and anarchy in the whole country,” the TNA said in a press release.
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Kadirgamar slams door on LTTE proposal

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 November 2003, 07:44 GMT]
Mr. Lakshman Kadirgamar, advisor to President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s and Sri Lanka’s former foreign minister, slammed the Liberation Tigers’ proposal for an Interim Self Governing Authority at a press conference in Colombo Wednesday to explain his party’s reaction to the LTTE’s suggestions. “We can in no way consider the LTTE’s proposal. It is totally unacceptable that they (Tigers) would have access rights to 2/3 of Sri Lanka’s coast. This is not negotiable”, the President’s confidante charged.
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Struggle to take Sri Lanka Parliament gathers pace

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 November 2003, 06:02 GMT]
Tamil and Muslim MPs and the Sinhala nationalist Janata Vimukthi Peramuna are set to play a key role as frantic efforts by President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s People Alliance and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s United National Front to cobble together a majority in Parliament before 19 November gathered momentum in Colombo Wednesday. Mr. Selvam Adaikalanathan, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP for Vanni told TamilNet: “We won’t go for horse deals. The TNA will take a principled stand in the interests of peace”.
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SL President's actions 'desperate' and 'irresponsible' -Wickremasinghe

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 November 2003, 21:26 GMT]
Responding to the actions of Sri Lanka's President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunga, who sacked three key ministers of the United National Front government and prorogued parliament Tuesday, Mr. Ranil Wickremasinghe, the Prime Minister, currently visiting Washington, DC, said in a statement that the " irresponsible and precipitous actions of the President [are] aimed at plunging the country into chaos and anarchy."
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Future of Sri Lanka’s peace hangs in balance

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 November 2003, 12:10 GMT]
Prospects for ending the island’s two-decade-old conflict dimmed fast Tuesday as the status of the cease-fire agreement (CFA), which was signed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in February 2002, became uncertain after President Kumaratunga snatched the ministry of defence from his government Tuesday. “We are carefully monitoring and studying the developments. Based on this, our leadership will decide what to do," Mr. Daya Master, the Media Co-ordinator of the LTTE told TamilNet.
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LTTE's proposals significant - Armitage

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 November 2003, 11:11 GMT]
"The LTTE's proposal is the first time I've seen such a comprehensive delineation of the aspirations of the LTTE, and in this regard I think it's significant." United States Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage is reported to have told in a press meet in Washington.
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Troops deployed in city, Sri Lankan Parliament prorogued

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 November 2003, 09:47 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President, Chandrika Kumaratunga, prorogued the sittings of the Parliament until 19 November as Sri Lanka army took position at the state radio and TV stations and at Sri Lanka Telecom, the island’s telecommunications nerve centre. Security has been tightened at the government printing press where the gazette notification of the President's proclamations is to be published and made law.
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The way forward lies through direct discussion - GoSL

[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 November 2003, 20:26 GMT]
The government of Sri Lanka in a statement issued today said that the proposals "differ in fundamental respect" from the proposals submitted by the government of Sri Lanka. However the GoSL statement said that ''the government is convinced that the way forward lies through direct discussions of the issues arising from both sets of proposals.''
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UNF to send LTTE proposals to all parties

[TamilNet, Friday, 31 October 2003, 15:08 GMT]
The Norwegian ambassador in Sri Lanka, Mr. Hans Brattskar, Friday evening handed over the interim administrative structure proposals from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to the Constitutional Affairs Minister, Professor G.L.Peiris, at the latter's official residence in Colombo on his return from Kilinochchi, media sources said
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Navy occupation leaves cattle on the road

[TamilNet, Friday, 31 October 2003, 01:00 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy has barred cattle from grazing in Attavaniakulam pastureland in Thampalakamam in Trincomalee district as the pastureland falls within the newly expanded High Security Zone (HSZ), security sources said. While the cattle breeders bemoan the loss of prime grazing area, farmers are scrambling to safeguard their paddy crops in more than 5000 acres from wandering cattle.
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SL Govt. to issue statement on LTTE's proposals on IA

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 October 2003, 16:06 GMT]
The United National Front government of Sri Lanka will issue a special statement on Saturday on the interim administrative structure proposal of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, which is scheduled to be submitted to the government through the Norwegian ambassador in Colombo Friday evening, Cabinet spokesman and UNF's Constitutional Affairs Minister, Professor G.L.Peiris, said at the weekly press briefing held Thursday at the government information department, media sources said.
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Hindus celebrate Deepavali

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 October 2003, 17:05 GMT]
Hindus in Colombo celebrated the Deepavali Festival, the festival of lights, at the New Kathiresan hall in Bambalapitiya Thursday.
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