Foreign minister puts pressure on PM

Foreign Minister Anura Bandaranaike, away from Sri Lanka for nearly a month now, has placed fresh demands if he is to support the candidature of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse at the November 17 presidential elections.

Bandaranaike, who was holidaying in Singapore, has asked a close personal friend to convey his request for a written assurance that he will be made prime minister and minister of foreign affairs if Rajapakse is elected president.

Though he had requested that the message be conveyed to Premier Rajapakse or his brother, Foreign Minister Bandaranaike's friend had first made contact with minister Mangala Samaraweera and placed the demands before him, The Sunday Times reported.

Samaraweera said he was unable to take up issue with the prime minister because the SLFP Central Committee had already decided Bandaranaike was the prime ministerial running mate.

He had explained that this position had not changed and hence a further dialogue on the matter was not necessary.

Premier Rajapakse who learnt of Bandaranaike's demands informally had decided not to respond, the newspaper said.

Bandaranaike left Sri Lanka on September 10 as a member of his sister, President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga's delegation to the UN World Summit and the subsequent General Assembly sessions.

Thereafter, with a short private visit to Washington DC he proceeded to Los Angeles on a private holiday.

En route to New York, Bandaranaike issued a statement from London in which he refuted newspaper reports that he was opposing Rajapakse.

He said he was in agreement with President Kumaratunga that his party should closely examine the recent agreements entered by Rajapakse.

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Physician believes he can bring end to war

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The physician, Victor Hettigoda, better known as 'Siddhalepa Vedamahattaya' or the physician of Siddhalepa, says "end the war and bring peace" will be his theme for the election campaign.