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CBK ducks the media in New York
NEW YORK - President Chandrika Kumaratunga, who has traditionally played the role of a willing host to the media in New York, avoided them this week when she came to the United Nations to address a summit meeting of some 170 world leaders.

She cancelled her UN news conference and the media reception scheduled for yesterday. She also backed out of two scheduled interviews, one with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and the other with Cable News Network (CNN).

The excuse: "she wasn't feeling well". But she didn't say whether it was her physical or her political health that was bugging her. According to one informed source, Ms. Kumaratunga ducked the media fearing the inevitable question about her current running battle with Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse over post-tsunami relief operations and his new-found political relationship with the JVP.

According to one political observer here, Ms. Kumaratunga has endeared herself to UN officials. In response to a question, she told a gathering at the Asia Society that in her post-retirement days she was willing to lend her expertise in conflict-resolution, to other countries.

"That was a message to Secretary-General Kofi Annan," a longtime Sri Lankan UN staffer commented. "After her retirement, she may be looking for a job as a UN trouble shooter."

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