by Shamindra Ferdinando
Former Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar yesterday criticised the government-LTTE MoU on an indefinite ceasefire, describing it as "a flawed document," which has been prepared too hastily.

Kadirgamar, as President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s designated nominee for the Norwegian-led peace process, expressed the belief that the government has carelessly agreed to some clauses in the agreement which were difficult to implement. He identified one such clause as the one which deals with the vacation of places of religious worship, government buildings including school buildings by security forces by D-day (February 22) plus 160. He expressed serious concern over the way the LTTE has taken advantage of the agreement to strengthen the organisation, politically, militarily and financially.

Addressing the press at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute (SLFI), Kadirgamar expressed the belief that the government has run into serious difficulties in implementing the ceasefire agreement. He described the ongoing re-positioning of troops deployed in the North-East "a rather difficult exercise." The former minister stressed the need to ensure troops re-position themselves strategically without jeopardising security.

The briefing was his first since the UNP-led United National Front (UNF) routed the PA in the last parliamentary elections in December, 2001. Despite the MoU under which both sides have agreed to cessation of hostilities, and the briefing was held under tight security.

Kadirgamar said that the government was in a dilemma over some of the clauses in the ceasefire agreement. He identified the LTTE sea movements between the north and the east as another disputable issue. He did not elaborate.

PA spokesman Dr. Sarath Amunugama, Mangala Samaraweera, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Dilan Perera and Janaka Bandara Tennakoon were also present. They took advantage of the opportunity to criticise the government over its handling of the country’s economy, claiming that ordinary people were unable to live as a result of spiralling cost of prices. They also attacked the Interior Ministry and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for jointly carrying out a politically motivated campaign against the opposition, particularly key leaders. Their allegations were very much similar to the allegations levelled by the UNP before the last parliamentary elections held last December. They singled out Ministers G. L. Peiris and Ravi Karunanayake for failing to keep their promises.

Kadirgamar reiterated the PA’s stance that it supports the peace process, but wanted the government to take into consideration flaws in the process pointed out by the Alliance. Briefly detailing the process which began in 1994, Kadirgamar said that they gave early warnings to the government in this regard. He added that President Kumaratunga in a letter to Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe several months ago pointed out the flaws in the agreement. He expressed the view that the PA has been proved correct as the government struggles to implement the agreement.

He said that no government has been given a mandate to secure peace at any cost. He did acknowledge however that due to the agreement shooting has come to a halt.

Responding to a question, Kadirgamar said that they (the PA) were not aware of the agenda for the proposed talks in Thailand. Admitting that Norway was engaged in preparing an agenda for the talks, Kadirgamar expressed serious concern over charges and counter-charges levelled against each who were signatories to the agreement. He pointed out that no date has been fixed for talks.

He said that he cannot dismiss the possibility of the two sides never being able to sit down for talks.

The PA was willing to discuss with the government and reach a consensus on issues the two parties agreed to. He was convinced that there were issues the two sides can agree.

Messrs Amunugama and Samaraweera said that the UNP has not responded to the SLFP’s policy statement on the peace process which was submitted to Mr. Wickremesinghe about two months ago.

The SLFP forwarded key ‘conditions’ if the party which leads the PA is to continue its co-operation in the peace process.

They demanded that an interim administration should be discussed with the LTTE and formed only after reaching a consensus on core issues relating to the north-east issue, a Standing Committee under the joint leadership of President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe should be established to lead the peace process and the de-proscription of the LTTE should be effected only after the talks commence and deemed to be progressing satisfactorily.

Kadirgamar said that de-proscription and an inter administration must be linked to other contentious issues. They must not be taken separately, he said, expressing the view that all key issues must be linked. "Otherwise there would be danger," he said, describing the present situation as a "recipe for permanent disaster."

He declined to speculate on the possibility of the PA being directly involved in the peace process by having its own nominee or nominees in the government delegation for the proposed talks.

Responding to another question, he said that the UNP has not officially informed the PA of the decision to appoint a joint government-PA committee in a bid to secure their support. Premier Wickremesinghe early this week told Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MPs that he wants to appoint this committee in support of the process.

He contradicted the stance that Premier Wickremesinghe has shifted his position with regard to some issues including the de-proscription as a result of President Kumaratunga pressuring him. "I don’t agree,‘ he said adding that it cannot happen. "I cannot accept that position," he said.

But he did not rule out the possibility of the premier re-thinking his stance on these issues. Amunugama agreed, pointing out that the premier’s stance that de-proscription will take place ten days before the talks, was a clear indication that the government was re-thinking strategy.

Kadirgamar said that the government may shift its strategy not because the premier was under presidential pressure but because it was the correct thing to do.