Date:27/06/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/06/27/stories/2003062706681200.htm

International

Colombo seeks legal expertise from U.K.

By V.S. Sambandan

COLOMBO JUNE 26. The Sri Lankan Government is seeking advice from the British Government on the "legal issues" involved in granting an interim administration for the LTTE in the northeast, Colombo's chief negotiator, G.L. Peiris, said here today.

The British advice, which has been on at an academic level for sometime now, gained a higher profile with the inclusion of Sri Lanka's Attorney-General, K.C. Kamalasabayson, during the recently-concluded visit by Premier, Ranil Wickremesinghe, to London.

Asked to explain the reason for the inclusion of the AG in the delegation, Prof. Peiris said: "Legal issues" of the interim administration were discussed with the British Constitutional Affairs Minister, Falconer, during the visit.

Declining to spell out the details of the discussions held Prof. Peiris said this was in addition to the advice already being taken from academics from Oxford and Cambridge.

Prof. Peiris, who is also Sri Lanka's Constitutional Affairs Minister, and Milinda Moragoda, a key Minister who is in the Government's negotiating team, were also in the Premier delegation to London.