Immediately disclose the secret pact of the Alliance (Divaina - S)
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has asked that the secret agreement signed between the SLFP and the JVP should be immediately disclosed to the public, since matters contrary to what were published after the forming of the Alliance have been revealed by leaders of the JVP through the media.

The Prime Minister said this at the Government Parliamentary Group meeting held last afternoon at the Parliamentary Complex. He has further said that the people have a right to know about this secret agreement and as such, it should be placed before the people immediately.

Tigers boycott Colombo aid group conference (Lankadeepa - S)
Rejecting the appeal made by the Special Japanese Envoy Yasushi Akashi in Kilinochchi yesterday for the LTTE to attend the Aid Group Conference scheduled to be held in Colombo today, the LTTE has decided to boycott it.

Political Wing leader of the LTTE Thamilchelvan has said that the LTTE was boycotting this conference due to the political instability currently prevailing in the South. The Tamil Website reported that this was told by Thamilchelvan to the Japanese special envoy during the discussions they had at Kilinochchi yesterday (22).

Alliance an impediment to peace process-Thamilchelvan (Virakesari-T)
It is very unfortunate that an alliance between the SLFP and the JVP has been formed. The SLFP has forged an alliance with those who are against he peace process and the ceasefire agreement. The alliance will be an impediment to the continuation of the peace process and the proper implementation of the ceasefire agreement, LTTE Political Wing Leader, S.P. Thamilchelvan said yesterday (22).

He told this to Yasushi Akashi, Japanese Special Peace Envoy, when he met him in Kilinochchi.

Colombo politics will worsen (Thinakkural-T)
Due to the repeated political changes that are taking place in Colombo, the international community has lamented that an unstable situation will hamper the peace process, said Yasushi Akashi, Japanese Special Peace Envoy at a press briefing held yesterday (22) after he met LTTE Political Wing Leader, S.P. Thamilchelvan in Kilinochchi.

He further said that Thamilchelvan has turned down his invitation to attend the donor meeting to be held in Colombo today to review progress made on the aid pledged at the Tokyo meeting, saying that because of the current political impasse, the LTTE's participation would cast doubts in the minds of the people.

LTTE wants black flags in Jaffna on independence day (Divaina - S)
Steps should be taken to hoist black flags in Jaffna on Sri Lanka's 56th independence commemoration day, the LTTE has told the Association of Relations of Missing Persons.

The Association has decided to meet at 10 A.M. on 25th to make arrangements to organize the black flag hoisting campaign.

LTTE will take sound decisions - Thamilchelvan (Thinakkural- T)
The LTTE will take correct and sound decisions on all issues from time to time according to the aspirations of the Tamil people, S.P. Thamilchelvan, LTTE's Political Wing Leader said at a press briefing held yesterday after meeting Yasushi Akashi, Japanese Special Peace Envoy, in Kilinochchi yesterday (22).

Thamilchelvan also said that Akashi was informed about the LTTE's concern about the most unstable political situation in Colombo and the forming of the alliance and that the needs of the Tamil people have not been fulfilled even after two years of ceasefire.

All provincial councils excepting North-East to be dissolved (Sudar Oli - T)
The Cabinet presided by President Chandrika Kumaratunga has decided to dissolve all provincial councils on 9th February.

Meanwhile, the Government and the Opposition have consented to hold the election for the seven provincial councils on 29th April. The Government is initiating action to bring an amendment to the provincial councils election law immediately to give effect to this decision.

Citizenship applications due before 30th January (Thinakaran - T)
The Ministry of Interior has informed that since all connected parties are interested in the granting of citizenship to persons of Indian origin, the President will not permit legally anyone political party to make political gain out of the application exercise.

It further states in a press release that the applicants should hand over their applications for citizenship before 30th January to the District or Divisional Secretariats or to the commission for the Registration of Persons of Indian Origin, functioning under the Department of Immigration and Emigration.

RELIGION

Banning of Anti-Buddhist NGO'S demanded (Lakbima - S)
The National Bhikkhu Front yesterday (22) handed over a Memorandum at the Presidential Secretariat demanding the banning of all anti-Buddhist Non-Governmental organizations involved in establishing Western culture, causing disunity among people and propagating other religions against Buddhism.

The memorandum, handed over by the President of the National Bhikku Front, Ven. Dambara Amila, Secretary, Ven Kapavelhala Chandraloka, Ven. Handugala Rathanapala, Ven. Kotagala Siridamma and Dunupatha Pannaloka Thera, was accepted on behalf of the President by President's Senior Additional Secretary D. S. Karunaratne and President's Media Director Janadasa Peiris.