Sri Lankan Gov't can't Call Referendum: Opposition Leader

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, April 10, 2003

Sri Lankan Gov't can't Call Referendum: Opposition Leader

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Sri Lankan opposition leader Mahinda Rajapakse said on Wednesday that only President Chandrika Kumaratunga has power to call nationwide referendum on current Norwegian-brokered peace process in the country.

He was referring to comments made last week by government spokesman and Constitutional Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris on a government move to hold a referendum on the peace process with theseparatist Tamil Tiger rebels.

"Nobody other than the president can call a referendum according to the constitution," Rajapakse told reporters.

The government led by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is currently engaged in the Norwegian-backed peace process to end theethnic conflict that has claimed over 64,000 lives since 1983.

However, the main opposition People's Alliance led by PresidentKumaratunga is critical of the government's handling of the peace process which has so far seen six rounds of direct negotiations between the Wickremesinghe government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) rebels.

The opposition accused the government of allowing too many concessions to the LTTE under the ceasefire agreement which came into force in February last year.

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