COLOMBO, Oct 17, Reuter: Seven opposition parties told President Junius Jayewardene on Monday the immediate dissolution of parliament could help bring peace to Sri Lanka.
Ina letter to Jayewardene, they blamed the Government for the current violence in Southern Sri Lanka and said peace would only come if parliament were dissolved and dates set for presidential and general elections.
They also called for the release of all student detainees and political prisoners and the suspension of recently created provincial councils.
The seven parties led by the main opposition group, the freedom party of former Prime Minister Sirim Bandaranaike, sought a meeting with Jayewardene to discuss the proposals.
In a separate statement to the press, the seven parties and the Marxist people’s liberation Front condemned what they called “state sponsored terrorism” in southern Sri Lanka.
The Government has accused the front of scores of killings and of inciting student unrest.
The Government last week closed all Sri Lanka’s 10,000 schools until October 25 and shut eight out of nine universities until the end of the year because of student unrest.
The front is opposed to last year’s India Sri Lanka accord aimed at ending a revolt by minority Tamils in Northern and Eastern Sri Lanka.
The eight parties are discussing the possibility of backing Bandaranaike as a common candidate for a presidential election expected in December.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 21, 1988
