Helgesen and the President have discussed the tense in Jaffna

After meeting LTTE’s political wing leader SP Thamilselvan in Kilinochchi, the minister told the journalists that the parties should take steps to prevent such situations in the future.

Addressing the media SP Thamilselvan said the changes to Cease Fire Agreement (CFA), if needed, can be discussed in future negotiations between the parties.

The most important thing at the moment, Thamilselvan said, is to safeguard the CFA than trying to change it.

The LTTE also denied any involvement in the Jaffna incident in which Superintendent of Police Charles Wijewardena was kidnapped and hacked to death on Thursday.

Muslim parties

'Safeguard the current ceasefire than trying to change it'

Helgesen was earlier briefed on the peace process and the Post Tsunami Operational Management Structure (P-TOMS) by Sri Lanka’s president.

President Chandrika Kumaratunga on Thurday briefed the minister on the Supreme Court’s interim order on P-TOMS, a statement issued by the presidential secretariat said.

The statement added that Sri Lanka and Norway had agreed that the cooperation of the LTTE and the Muslim parties was necessary for the implementation of the P-TOMS.

“The President expressed the Government’s readiness to a ‘review’ of the CFA as proposed by SLMM and as distinct from a ‘renegotiation’ of the CFA.”

The statement went onto say that recent Security Council Resolution on Use of Child Soldiers and its implication for Sri Lanka had also been discussed.

The President had responded positively to a request from the facilitator to a visit by Mr. Ian Martin, Advisor on Human Rights.