11-14-2003, 10:54 AM
PTI <b>LANKA LD NORWAY
Norway suspends peace role in Sri Lanka </b>COLOMBO, NOV 14 (PTI)
In a setback to the Sri Lankan peace process, Norway today said it would suspend its peace brokering role in the country until the power struggle between the leaders of the island nation was resolved.
Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesen said they needed "clarity" regarding who was actually responsible for the peace process from the Colombo government's side before they could resume their efforts.
"Until such clarity is re-established, there is no space for further efforts by the Norwegian government to assist the parties," Helgesen told reporters here at the end of a three-day visit.
He said the talks between the government and the Tiger rebels could have started even tomorrow, but the political crisis triggered by President Chandrika Kumaratunga sacking of three ministers and suspending Parliament on November 4 cast a shadow over the entire effort.
The visit by Helgesen and Special Advisor Erik Solheim was originally aimed at reviving talks between the Colombo government and the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), but Helgesen said they failed because of the political uncertainty here.
"This is one single impediment that Norway can do nothing about," he said. "So we will go home and wait.
"Peace talks could have started tomorrow provided there was clarity about who is holding political authority and responsibility on behalf of the government to ensure the continuation of the ceasefire agreement and the resumption of peace negotiations," Helgesen said. He also said that Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who revived a peace bid with Tamil rebels in 2001, is effectively "out of the peace process" due to his power struggle with the president.
"He would not be able to take decisions and make compromises at the table, so effectively he has said he is out of the peace process." "The prime minister can't take responsibility for the peace process and is unable to give security guarantees," Helgesen said. Wickremesinghe had in turn asked President Kumaratunga to take over the running of the process, a possibility Helgesen put to Tiger Supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran yesterday.
Helgesen said both the Tamil Tigers and President Kumaratunga promised to uphold the ceasefire which Norway brokered and put into effect from February 23 last year, but warned that it was at risk.
"There is not a stable peace in Sri Lanka today...I think, however, that the parties have committed to maintain the ceasefire." "We need to make clear that the ceasefire will be much more difficult to sustain in a political vacuum," he said. "If progress in the political negotiations is made impossible, the ceasefire will become increasingly fragile.
<b>
LANKA-PM
Ranil out of peace process: Norwegian envoy </b>COLOMBO, NOV 14 (AFP)
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who revived a peace bid with Tamil rebels in 2001, is effectively "out of the peace process" due to his power struggle with the president, a Norwegian envoy said today.
"He would not be able to take decisions and make compromises at the table, so effectively he has said he is out of the peace process," Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesen told reporters.
"The prime minister can't take responsibility for the peace process and is unable to give security guarantees," Helgesen said.
President Chandrika Kumaratunga, who accuses both Norway and Wickremesinghe of conceding too much to the Tamil Tigers, on November 4 took over three ministries including defence, giving her full control of security forces.
Helgesen said today the peace process was on hold, after his five-day mission in which he met separately with Kumaratunga, Wickremesinghe and Tamil Tiger supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran.
"The government has no option but to seek a fresh mandate to counter extremist forces and obstructionist politics of the opposition," the Cabinet resolution said.
"When we are moving on the rapid path of development, some forces, including extremists, are obstructing the development. Some political parties are also creating confusion and putting obstacles on the road to development," the resolution said.
The TDP government sought dissolution of the assembly ten months before it was to complete its term.
This is the second time a state government is seeking a fresh mandate ahead of its term.
In 1985, the then Chief Minister and TDP founder leader, late N T Rama Rao, opted for snap polls to consolidate the public sympathy generated by his ouster in August '84 following a political coup by his deputy N Bhaskar Rao.
Norway suspends peace role in Sri Lanka </b>COLOMBO, NOV 14 (PTI)
In a setback to the Sri Lankan peace process, Norway today said it would suspend its peace brokering role in the country until the power struggle between the leaders of the island nation was resolved.
Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesen said they needed "clarity" regarding who was actually responsible for the peace process from the Colombo government's side before they could resume their efforts.
"Until such clarity is re-established, there is no space for further efforts by the Norwegian government to assist the parties," Helgesen told reporters here at the end of a three-day visit.
He said the talks between the government and the Tiger rebels could have started even tomorrow, but the political crisis triggered by President Chandrika Kumaratunga sacking of three ministers and suspending Parliament on November 4 cast a shadow over the entire effort.
The visit by Helgesen and Special Advisor Erik Solheim was originally aimed at reviving talks between the Colombo government and the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), but Helgesen said they failed because of the political uncertainty here.
"This is one single impediment that Norway can do nothing about," he said. "So we will go home and wait.
"Peace talks could have started tomorrow provided there was clarity about who is holding political authority and responsibility on behalf of the government to ensure the continuation of the ceasefire agreement and the resumption of peace negotiations," Helgesen said. He also said that Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who revived a peace bid with Tamil rebels in 2001, is effectively "out of the peace process" due to his power struggle with the president.
"He would not be able to take decisions and make compromises at the table, so effectively he has said he is out of the peace process." "The prime minister can't take responsibility for the peace process and is unable to give security guarantees," Helgesen said. Wickremesinghe had in turn asked President Kumaratunga to take over the running of the process, a possibility Helgesen put to Tiger Supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran yesterday.
Helgesen said both the Tamil Tigers and President Kumaratunga promised to uphold the ceasefire which Norway brokered and put into effect from February 23 last year, but warned that it was at risk.
"There is not a stable peace in Sri Lanka today...I think, however, that the parties have committed to maintain the ceasefire." "We need to make clear that the ceasefire will be much more difficult to sustain in a political vacuum," he said. "If progress in the political negotiations is made impossible, the ceasefire will become increasingly fragile.
<b>
LANKA-PM
Ranil out of peace process: Norwegian envoy </b>COLOMBO, NOV 14 (AFP)
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who revived a peace bid with Tamil rebels in 2001, is effectively "out of the peace process" due to his power struggle with the president, a Norwegian envoy said today.
"He would not be able to take decisions and make compromises at the table, so effectively he has said he is out of the peace process," Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesen told reporters.
"The prime minister can't take responsibility for the peace process and is unable to give security guarantees," Helgesen said.
President Chandrika Kumaratunga, who accuses both Norway and Wickremesinghe of conceding too much to the Tamil Tigers, on November 4 took over three ministries including defence, giving her full control of security forces.
Helgesen said today the peace process was on hold, after his five-day mission in which he met separately with Kumaratunga, Wickremesinghe and Tamil Tiger supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran.
"The government has no option but to seek a fresh mandate to counter extremist forces and obstructionist politics of the opposition," the Cabinet resolution said.
"When we are moving on the rapid path of development, some forces, including extremists, are obstructing the development. Some political parties are also creating confusion and putting obstacles on the road to development," the resolution said.
The TDP government sought dissolution of the assembly ten months before it was to complete its term.
This is the second time a state government is seeking a fresh mandate ahead of its term.
In 1985, the then Chief Minister and TDP founder leader, late N T Rama Rao, opted for snap polls to consolidate the public sympathy generated by his ouster in August '84 following a political coup by his deputy N Bhaskar Rao.