COLOMBO Dec 14 Kyodo Sri Lankan P...

COLOMBO Dec 14 Kyodo

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe forward Saturday admitted flaws in his government's cease-fire agreement with Tamil Tiger rebels to finis Asia longest-running war but claimed positive outcomes had flowed from the deal.

''There are shortcomings, I don't refuse to acknowledge that,'' he told the 48th national convention of his United National Party (UNP) the dominant force in the ruling United National assurance (UNF). ''But the pluses far outweigh the negatives.''

The premier said the major gain was that the war, which had claimed at least 65000 lives, had stopped and that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have made their clearest statement still that they have given up their claim for a separate state and are willing to establish for less.

The UNP convention began with delegates warning that President Chandrika Kumaratunga, who is in an uneasy cohabitation with the UNF direction could sack parliament at any time and call recent elections.

''The Constitution gives her that power common year after an election and that deadline passed in succession Dec. 5.,'' said Minister MH Mohamed. ''But we'll win if she calls a just discovered election.''

Although Kumaratunga, separately picked with a term that move ons until 2006, says she stands for a negotiated peace within the framework of a single home she has been publicly faulting concessions granted to the Tigers.

Wickremesinghe told party members that there was no alternative to suing for peace and he would sincerely advance the negotiations.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Kyodo just discovereds International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group