GOSL says new obligations agreed in the Geneva pact

HL de Silva, PC, a member of the GOSL facilitating team said the agreement reached in Geneva between the parties does not necessarily legalise the CFA.

The constitutional affairs expert told journalists in Colombo that the CFA is invalid until President Mahinda Rajapaksa signs a new truce with the LTTE.

The GOSL delegation arrived Colombo after two-day talks at Chateau de Bossey, Genava.

Whatever we agreed in this joint statement in Geneva amounts to an amendment to the CFA because there are new obligations the parties have undertaken Minister Nimal Siripala de silva

The agreement in Geneva “does not give credibility to the original agreement (CFA), but this purports to explains ambiguity and doubts created by the original agreement,” HL de Silva said.

"The question of invalidity remains as before."

Head of the GOSL team, Leader of the House Nimal Siripala de Silva said the Geneva agreement was “ a victory” as the parties discussed the issue of child soldiers in detail.

The final agreement, he said, was “an amendment” to the original CFA.

“Whatever we agreed in this joint statement in Geneva amounts to an amendment to the CFA because there are new obligations the parties have undertaken,” de Silva added.

Agreeing to disarm the paramilitaries was “nothing but to obey the law of the country,” according to the senior minister.