Norway has pulled out of its role as mediator in the Sri Lankan peace process citing as reason the power struggle between the prime minister and the president.
The withdrawal marked a dramatic suspension of years of Norwegian diplomacy aimed at brokering peace between Sri Lanka's government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, said CNN.
The political crisis was sparked off when President Chandrika Kumaratunga sacked three cabinet ministers and suspended parliament last week, saying the government led by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had conceded too much to the LTTE.
Wickremesinghe was in the US at the time drumming up support for the peace initiative.
Speaking to the media just before the Norwegian delegation left Colombo for Oslo, Norway's Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgessen said: "Peace talks could have started tomorrow, provided there was clarity about who was holding political authority and responsibility on behalf of the government to ensure the continuation of the ceasefire agreement and the resumption of peace negotiations," he said.
"Until such clarity is reestablished, there is no space for further efforts by the Norwegian government to assist the two parties.We are going to go home and wait," Helgessen added.
Norway had brokered a ceasefire and talks between the LTTE and the government in February last year. In April, the LTTE pulled out of the talks, before returning with a October 31 counter-proposal which the president found offensive.
The Norwegian delegation had rushed to Colombo early this week, and met representatives of the both the LTTE and the government. Though Kumaratunga assured the team that the ceasefire will be respected, the LTTE itself has decided to wait and watch, saying political stability had to return before negotiations could be restarted.
A meeting Wednesday between Chandrika Kumaratunga and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe ended in a deadlock. Another meeting is expected next week.
