Ranil moves to end power struggle

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's government announced yesterday it was willing to give the country's president a broader role in the peace process with Tamil Tiger rebels.

The pledge is aimed at resolving a power struggle that has paralysed the country's efforts at finding a lasting resolution to its two-decade civil war.

The offer came hours after the official level committee named by the Wickremesinghe met for the first time to discuss cooperation on 'National Issues' between the two sides.

Government spokesman Prof. G.L.Peiris told a news conference in Colombo that that the Prime Minister was willing to share powers and responsibility with the President regarding the peace process.

The reaction from the government was a marked contrast to recent developments in which the Prime Minister declared that he was not willing to take on the responsibilities of the peace process as President Chandrika Kumaratunga had taken over the Defence portfolio which is closely linked with the peace process.

Prof. Peiris who is also the Constitutional Affairs Minister for the first time admitted that President had a role in the decision making process and adding that they would treat the recent events as 'history'.

It was not immediately clear as to why the government had made a change in its stance, but it has been known that the international community and the business sector have been bringing pressure on both, the President and the Prime Minister, to continue with the peace process and maintain political stability.

In a significant move, the official level committee appointed by the President and the Prime Minister include two members who are closely linked with the business community.

One of the Prime Minister's nominees is his own party Chairman, Malik Samarawickrema who himself is a businessman and the Presidenet has nominated one of her advisors, Mano Tittawella who was a former Chairman of the Public Enterprises Reforms Committee, a body in charge of privatising loss making state institutions.

Prime Minister's Secretary, Bradman Weerakoone and President's Secretary K. Karunaratne are the other two nominees.

"The committee met this morning (Thursday) and will be meeting tomorrow. They are working very rapidly. The principle task of this committee is to find a practical way forward, a Memorandum of Understanding is certainly not ruled out, it is an option', Prof. Peiris said.

We have to select the main issues which need to be included in the MoU, The two major areas are the economy and the peace process. This will lay the foundation which will be laid for a process of economic development, Prof. Peiris said.

OLIVE BRANCH

Peace moves
• Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's government says it is willing to give the president a broader role in the peace process with Tamil Tiger rebels.

• The present political turmoil prompted the government to drop efforts to coax the rebels back into Norwegian-mediated peace talks, which have been suspended since April.

• Wickremesinghe's spokesman G.L. Peiris says the government is working toward identifying the best manner to meet our objectives. He says there seems political will on both sides to put the strains behind. The government recognises the need to work closely with the president and her party as it now embark on a different phase of the peace process.

• A presidential spokesman calls the development "good,"' but said Chandrika's office was awaiting a full transcript of Peiris' statement.

• Wickremesinghe's spokesman, however, rejected the president's call for a coalition government and said a dispute over the defence portfolio, one of the three ministries Chandrika took over, "needs to be overcome."

• At their second of two rounds of crisis talks Chandrika and Wickremesinghe set up a committee to work together on key national issues.

• The principle task of this committee is to find a practical way forward.