Chandrika, opposition hold talks

By Nirupama Subramanian

COLOMBO, JUNE 6. The ruling People's Alliance(PA) and the opposition United National Party(UNP) met today to thrash out crucial issues of the government's draft constitutional reforms.

The meeting, chaired by the President, Mrs. Chandrika Kumaratunga at Temple Trees, her official home, began this evening and continued late into the night. Details of the meeting were not immediately available.

The two sides were expected to take up the thorny issues of the unit of devolution, the structure of the Sri Lankan state, and control over land use at the meeting.

Mrs. Kumaratunga has set June 15 as the deadline for arriving at an agreement with the UNP on these issues, and has said she will go ahead with moves to implement the devolution package, whether or not such a consensus is reached by that date.

In a message to the nation on the eve of War Heroes day, Mrs. Kumaratunga reiterated that the ``cherished dream of peace'' could only be achieved through a political solution ``of giving space to every citizen of this country to live in dignity and harmony.''

She said the government and other political parties were reaching a consensus and ``forging ahead'' with a new constitution that would guarantee rights for all citizens.

Mrs. Kumaratunga appealed to the country to ``come forward and assist the families of those brave soldiers who are dead or maimed and those who are at the front.''

``On behalf of the nation, let me on this occasion extend our deep gratitude to those families who have given their children, husbands, fathers, brothers and sisters to the defence forces, in order to defend the unity and integrity of our motherland,'' she said.

The country will observe a two-minute silence at 9.30 am tomorrow on the occasion of War Heroes day.

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Section  : International
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