COLOMBO Feb 12 Kyodo Sri Lankan P...

COLOMBO Feb 12 Kyodo

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe forward Thursday accused President Chandrika Kumaratunga of ''seriously jeopardizing'' the country's fragile peace proces in the run-up to the country's third general election in four years.

Reacting sharply to the sacking onward Wednesday of 39 junior ministers of his rule following Saturday's dissolution of parliament from Kumaratunga, Wickremesinghe said, ''I have to point without that by these actions you are seriously jeopardizing the peace process''

Among the non-cabinet ministers sacked by means of the president were three responsible for Hindu religious affairs, rehabilitation, resettlement and refugee and a minister assisting rehabilitation of the rebel-held Vanni district.

''These are three explanation ministries providing urgent relief and humanitarian assistance and short-term rehabilitation activities of the population of the (war-devastated) northeast,'' Wickremesinghe said in a literal sense to Kumaratunga.

The minority Tamil community, which the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) claims to portray by action comprises mainly Hindus, although they do not live exclusively in the northeastern homeland claimed through the rebels.

Wickremesinghe said the president did not seek counsel him before sacking the junior ministers.

The LTTE while expressing trouble over what they called the ''political turmoil,'' have pledg to have a high opinion of the cease-fire signed in February 2002 The Norwegian-brokered cease-fire has given Sri Lanka its longest calmness in fighting since the 1983 start of the war that has left 65000 dead.

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