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 Sri Lanka Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe (centre), surrounded by party members, wellwishers, and security, addresses the media on his arrival at Bandaranaike International Airport, Katunayake, on November 7.
Photo: ROB ELLIOTT/AFP/Getty Images |
INTERNATIONAL NEWS President versus PM The Sri Lanka peace process hit a huge roadblock. On November 4, Sri Lanka President Chandrika Kumaratunga fired three ministers from Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's government. She suspended parliament, saying the government was making too many concessions to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. A day later, Kumaratunga declared a state of emergency and took over the portfolios of defence, interior and media. However, she withheld imposing the emergency. Wickremesinghe was in the US when the crisis broke, seeking Washington's support for the peace process to end the island nation's 20-year civil war. He rushed back and threatened to call elections to break the deadlock. He also suggested that Kumaratunga hold talks with the LTTE. The LTTE called off the peace talks and the Norwegian diplomats, who have been mediating in the negotiations, returned home. Text: Ramananda Sengupta
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