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President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga promised to look into the possibility of appointing a separate Governor for the Eastern Province after studying its constitutional and political implications.

The President gave this assurance when a delegation from the Conference of National Organisations met her at the Presidential Secretariat, Colombo on Wednesday, said a Press release issued by the Presidential Media Unit yesterday.

The delegation led by Ven. Elle Gunawansa thera and Parliamentarian Dinesh Gunawardena pointed out that it was under the Emergency Regulations that the North and East were amalgamated into a single province, they said. Now that the Emergency has lapsed North and East should once again become two provinces and requested the President to appoint a separate Governor for the East.

The delegation also pointed out that Sinhalese and Muslims constituted almost 70 percent of the population of the East and Muslims in particular had clamoured for the appointment of a separate Governor for the East.

The delegation expressed concern about the setting up of the proposed Joint Task Force for the North and East saying it would not be answerable to either Parliament or the President.

They also expressed their displeasure about the LTTE's alleged illegal activities such as the setting up of LTTE Courts and Police Stations and extortion.

The other members of the delegation were MPs Pandu Bandaranayake, Tissa Karalliyadda, Maheepala Herath and Gamini Perera, Tissa Jayawardena, E.S. Hewage, Dr. Anula Wiejsundera and Thusitha Senaratne.

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