April 02, Colombo: Speaking at a felicitation ceremony at the President’s House yesterday, President Kumaratunge scoffed at the double standards of American President George Bush, who wanted Sri Lanka to talk peace with the LTTE while the US justified war against Iraq by stating that the country was a terrorist state.
President Kumaratunge nevertheless spoke of her continuous support for the peace process but warned that she would personally lead the fighting if the LTTE went back to war again.
The President was critical of the Prime Minister for not supporting her peace initiatives while he was in the opposition, and she blamed the LTTE’s Anton Balasingham for threatening the country by saying that the LTTE would have to pursue alternative methods if the UNF government fell.
She also assured that she would not hesitate to use her executive powers if she felt that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country were at stake.
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