| News |
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| President
reinforces Defence Ministry as consensus talks stall
Former Interior Ministry Secretary M.N.Junaid who has taken over as the Secretary to the Internal Security Ministry said that all staff of the Interior ministry would come under the purview of the new ministry. The newly formed Internal Security Ministry has been entrusted with the subjects of maintaining public order -- police powers and functions relating to Public order vested by the constitution, maintaining traffic, maintaining civil security and prevention and control of dangerous drugs. Some of the key departments of the former Interior Ministry, including the Departments of Prison, Immigration and Emigration, Registration of persons and the Commissioner for the Registration of Persons of Indian Origin, have been vested in the Defence Ministry. The formation of the Internal Security Ministry and the strengthening of the Defence Ministry came as the talks between President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe virtually ended in a stalemate with officials of the two sides failing to reach an agreement by the December 15 deadline. Both the President and the Prime Minister were out of Colombo on vacation. The President was reported to be in the south on a holiday with her children who are on vacation and the Prime Minister in Nuwara Eliya. The Mano Tittawella-Malik Samarawickrama committee has not fixed a fresh date for talks after their last meeting ended inconclusively last week. Annexing additional subjects to the Defence Ministry was seen as a fresh move to beef up the Defence Ministry which the President has refused to hand back to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister has insisted that the Defence Ministry be fully handed back to the government to ensure the continuity of the peace process. Meanwhile, the position regarding the peace process is expected to be re-discussed among LTTE leaders with the return of theoretician Anton Balasingham to the Wanni next month. He is due to arrive in mid-January after keeping away for nearly eight months. |
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