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Opposition Leader vague on terms of talks
[2 Dec 1999]

Opposition Leader and presidential aspirant Ranil Wickremasinghe has clearly demonstrated his poor comprehension of the issues and terminology relating to much-touted talks with the Tamil Tigers, political analysts said today.
 
     Wickremasinghe, speaking to reporters, said he was ready to begin a dialogue with the LTTE terrorists. He also said he would welcome another country's participation in the process.
 
     However, contradicting himself only minutes later, Wickremasinghe added, "I don't think there can be a foreign-brokered agreement. No country in the world is willing to do that because no one is willing to underwrite a deal."
 
    Analysts seized on the statement, asking why Wickremasinghe would  involve another country in negotiations if he didn't believe they could broker an agreement, adding that Wickremasinghe is barely clear in his own mind how he intends to achieve anything in negotiations.
 
    In discussing possible modalities for talks, the government of President Chandrika Kumaratunga has drawn a distinction between "third party mediation" and "third party facilitation." While the Sri Lankan government has said it would consider "third-party facilitation,"ruling out mediation, Wickremasinghe has said he was keen to avoid a "debate on terminology."
 
     One analyst suggested that Wickremasinghe's obvious vagueness meant that naturally he would avoid a debate. "He clearly doesn't understand the subject sufficiently to debate it, there is a very real distinction between the two modes of third party participation" the analyst said.
 
     The government has said that facilitation, in which a third party is  empowered to create the conditions under which the two sides to come together to settle their differences is preferred to mediation, in which the mediating party has greater scope to influence the course of negotiations.
        


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