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| 02/02/2005 - The Island | |||
| Ranil wants pivotal Muslim role in N-E rehab work | |||
UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe wants a pivotal role for the Muslims in reconstruction and rehabilitation of the northern and eastern provinces. The opposition leader has emphasised that the Muslims and the Sinhalese should be represented in the proposed organization that would be responsible for re-building tsunami-ravaged areas in the provinces. Wickremesinghe is of the opinion by accommodating representatives of all communities, they would be able to carry out the relief, reconstruction and rehabilitation schemes on a concerted basis. According to the Office of the Opposition Leader, Wickremesinghe had emphasised this when he met Deputy Norwegian Foreign Minister Vidar Helgessen and special envoy Erik Solheim in Oslo on Tuesday. Milinda Moragoda, MP who represented the previous government’s delegation to the six rounds of talks with the LTTE, and former Ambassador to the US Charlie Mahendran had participated in the meeting. The meeting was held at the Norwegian Foreign Ministry. The two parties had also expressed views on the ongoing deliberations between the government and the LTTE on the setting up of a comprehensive mechanism to run tsunami relief, reconstruction and rehabilitation work in the northern and eastern provinces. (SF) |
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