Govt close to defeating LTTE: Chandrika

COLOMBO, May 23: Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga today claimed that her government was close to defeating the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and appealed to the opposition United National Party, (UNP) to shed its political differences and help the government find a political solution to end the 15-year-old civil war. Sharing a political platform for the first time in recent years with the UNP leader, Ranil Wickramasinghe at the 15th national conference of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, (SLMC), Chandrika said, “We should leave aside our differences” and forge friendship and solidarity to solve the ethnic crisis.

“The government is willing to discuss any constructive proposals worked out by any party and we are determined to bring political solution to end this terrible war,” she said adding, “We have to stop it and we shall stop it.”