President did not meet LTTE supporters

The Government today denied claims that President Mahinda Rajapaksa had met LTTE supporters during his last visit to the United States.

External Affairs Minister, Professor G.L Peiris told Parliament that he was with the President during the US tour and he can guarantee that the President did not meet any pro-LTTE diaspora members.

The President had been in the US to attend the UN General Assembly (UNGA) meeting and he also had talks with world leaders on the sidelines of the meeting.

The leader of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) Ranil Wickremesinghe had recently demanded answers from President Mahinda Rajapaksa over who, from the Government, met the diaspora during his recent visit to America.

Wickremesinghe said that there were reports someone had a meeting with the diaspora in the US when the President was in the US and so he wants the President to reveal who met them and why.

Earlier the Government had accused Wickremesinghe of meeting the pro-LTTE diaspora during a visit to London recently but Wickremesinghe insists he never met any member of the diaspora.

The UNP leader also asked why the Government failed to be represented in the case against moves to lift the ban on the LTTE in the EU when the issue was first taken to court in 2011.

However Minister Peiris told Parliament the Sri Lankan Government cannot be represented in a case in another country and will instead address the issue with EU members States by sharing the information needed on the LTTE. (Colombo Gazette)