The Government will press for a meaningful ceasefire during the February 22-23 talks in Geneva, Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa said yesterday.
"We want to make sure that there will be no killings. There will be no action of any other kind. We want to create a very peaceful atmosphere so that the democratic traditions will prevail," Yapa told the Cabinet news briefing.
Yapa said the Government has prepared its agenda for the talks and appointed a Steering Committee on Peace Building headed by Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera to assist the Government delegation which will include Health and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, Trade, Commerce and Consumer Affairs and Highways Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle and Investment Promotion and Enterprise Development Minister Rohitha Bogollagama.
"The Government will announce the names of other members of the delegation in the coming days," he said. The Steering Committee will also assist President Mahinda Rajapakse to formulate a long term vision for the peace process and to guide the negotiation process through the immediate and medium term phases.
The Steering Committee will consist of six Cabinet Ministers, a Deputy Minister, Members of Parliament, alliance partners of the Government, six Permanent Secretaries and senior officials of the Foreign Ministry and the Peace Secretariat.
"The Steering Committee has already met on two occasions this week," he added. "The Steering Committee is designed to make arrangements for the Government representatives participating in the talks. We are making their task easy," the Minister remarked.
Yapa denied allegations made by Opposition parties about the preparation of the agenda for the talks.
The Minister said with a view to creating a knowledge base for the negotiators a two day workshop was held with the participation of Senior Cabinet Ministers, alliance partners of the Government, Permanent Secretaries Service Chiefs and Senior Peace Secretariat Chiefs.
"Prof G.L. Peiris, a former member of the Government delegation to six round of peace talks and Austin Fernando, Advisor to the former negotiations team, provided insights on the previous experience at the negotiating table," the Minister said.
"Through all these steps the Government aims at entering the scheduled talks in a more responsible manner," the Minister said.
He said the Government was in line with the Mahinda Chinthana in having discussions with the LTTE.
"We have not deviated from that," he added. "According to the Mahinda Chinthana we promised of a new line of thinking. So we have done that. We have met all democratic political parties - those who are in the Parliament and as well as outside the Parliament. We have discussed with them. Now we are starting talks on the Ceasefire," he said.
He dismissed allegations by certain Opposition parties on the ceasefire talks agenda. "There are two parties the Government and the LTTE. The Norwegian facilitators are there. The agenda will be prepared taking only those two sides into consideration. I think the Government has already prepared its agenda. So we totally deny what Opposition parties say," the Minister added.