Lanka: Ranil accepts Prez’s invitation

As the political turmoil continued in Sri Lanka, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has agreed to meet his arch rival President Chandrika K...

As the political turmoil continued in Sri Lanka, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has agreed to meet his arch rival President Chandrika Kumaratunga tomorrow but made it clear that he would only discuss the ‘‘damage’’ she had ‘‘inflicted’’ on the peace process and not her proposal for formation of a unity government.

The PM’s decision to hold talks with Kumaratunga was announced today by government spokesman G.L. Peiris. Wickremesinghe told his party legislators that the President had ‘‘inflicted considerable damage’’ on the peace process with her decision last week to sack three key ministers, suspend Parliament for two weeks and briefly invoke state of emergency.

‘‘Events of the last few days have inflicted considerable damage on the peace process,’’ Peiris said, quoting the PM. ‘‘It has been damaged and put in jeopardy.’’

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‘‘We want to discuss remedial action. Regrettable as it may be, the main task is the fragility of the peace process and how to salvage the process,’’ Peiris said.

Justice Minister W.J.M. Lokubandara said the PM ‘‘made it clear that what he will discuss with the President is the state of the peace process and not her offer of a national government.’’ He said the government did not believe it was necessary for the President to take over the Army, the police and the state-owned media if she was sincere about a unity government.

However, the government did not say whether Kumaratunga had accepted the new terms set by the premier.

Meanwhile, official sources said the Norwegian envoys arrived here on previously scheduled visit, but were facing a tough new challenge following the political turmoil. They said the two Norwegians has a hectic schedule during their two-day visit which was arranged before the political turmoil here erupted.

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The pair was due to meet both Wickremesinghe and Kumaratunga who on Friday wanted to impose new restrictions on the Norwegians.