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| Sunday, 27 January 2002 |
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Politics |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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President's
spokesman: 'Ban not meant to block peace talks'
by Ananth Palakidnar The ban imposed on the LTTE by the former PA government had not been intended as an obstacle to peace talks, Presidential spokesman Harim Peiris has said in explaining President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga's views on the current peace process. The former government had proscribed the LTTE "to prevent it from perpetrating violence and not to prevent it from entering into political negotiations," Mr. Peiris said at the weekly media briefing held at the Presidential Secretariat on Friday. Although the Presidential spokesman did not directly reply questions whether the President and the People's Alliance supported a de-proscription of the LTTE, he indicated that the current ban should not be considered a block to peace. The Presidential spokesman elaborating on the issue of de-proscribing the LTTE said that the President was very much concerned that the new government should not be taken for a ride by the LTTE." The President has nothing against either the LTTE or the Government of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in conducting meaningful negotiations to end the ethnic crisis. The President would still stand by her pledges made when she came into power in 1994 and she was also keen that the peace process should go ahead smoothly without any disruption. The LTTE was proscribed by the President's PA Government as a legal bar to prevent it from executing offensives such as suicide attacks and destruction to the state property. But the proscription does not in any way prevent the LTTE from being involved in meaningful political negotiations", Mr. Harim Peiris said. Regarding the de-proscription of the LTTE, several issues such as ensuring the security of the innocent civilians in the border villages, non -recruitment of child soldiers and the removal of mines in the conflict areas should be considered as prime concerns, he said. On the ceasefire issue, he said that President was keen on a mutually agreed permanent ceasefire with monitors, which would pave way for the continuity of a constructive peace process. |
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