PA-JVP final talks this week

by Anura Maitipe

The JVP leader Somawansa Amarasinghe is expected to meet President Mahinda Rajapaksa for the final round of talks to clinch a deal on the PA-JVP alliance.

According to JVP sources, party's politburo has entrusted party leader Amarasinghe to take the final decision on the JVP-PA alliance.

The meeting is expected to take place before President Rajapaksa leaves for Havana to attend the Non Aligned Movement (NAM) summit.

The JVP leader, who is currently visiting Korea, will return home next week.

The government and the JVP have held several rounds of talks and the final meeting between the representatives of the two parties was held late last week.

The JVP earlier presented a set of conditions for the party to join the People's Alliance led government.

Among the conditions were the abrogation of the Ceasefire Agreement, the removal of the Norwegians from the role of the peace facilitator, demerger of the North-East and minimising the Cabinet to 35 ministers .

During this weeks discussions, the government was represented by Ministers Maithripala Sirisena, Mangala Samaraweera, Susil Premjayantha and Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, MP Dallas Alahapperuma and the President's Advisor Basil Rajapaksa.

The JVP was represented by party Secretary Tilvin Silva, Wimal Weerawansa and K. D. Lalkantha.