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| Sunday, 19 June 2005 |
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Politics |
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Editorial
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UNP not prepared to topple Government by Ananda Kannangara UNP spokesman Prof. G. L. Peiris reiterated that the executive powers, vested in President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga in the Constitution are sufficient to sign the Post Tsunami Operations Management Structure (PTOMS) agreement with the LTTE. "Therefore the proposed debate on this crucial issue, scheduled to take place before Parliament is not necessary," he said. Addressing a media conference in Colombo Prof. Peiris highlighted that the proposed P-TOMS was only an agreement to be signed with the LTTE to rebuild the tsunami affected areas in the North and East. "This agreement will bring relief to a large section of our own countrymen," he said. "This is neither an Act nor a Regulation to be presented before Parliament and this is only an agreement between two groups," he said. Prof. Peiris also recalled how former President J.R. Jayawardene signed the Indo- Lanka agreement with the then Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and former Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe signed the MoU with LTTE leader Velupillai Pirbhakaran. "Therefore the UNP is not supporting the Government's move to bring the P-TOMS proposal to parliament and it is the duty of the President to go ahead and sign this deal without passing on her responsibilities to Parliament," Prof. Peiris added. Meanwhile, UNP MP Tissa Attanayaka accused the JVP of deceiving people saying that the JVP did not take any steps to reduce the rising COL in the country as pledged to do so by removing the World Bank plug within three months after coming to power. "Therefore it is not suitable for them to quit the Government at this juncture without fulfilling their election pledges, especially the reduction of fertiliser price to Rs. 350, increase the salaries of public sector by 70 per cent, provide employment for 300,000 youth in the country and also reduce oil prices without listening to world bank advice," he said. Attanayaka also reiterated that holding the Presidential election at the proper time is the only solution to this present crisis. "However we are not prepared to topple the Government on this issue as our party is not opportunistic," he added.
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Editorial | Security | Produced by Lake House |
