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Govt will be delighted to face polls - Prof. Peiris

"We would be delighted" to face an election, the Government's Chief Negotiator at the Peace Talks in Oslo Prof G L Peiris told reporters yesterday.

The Minister's comment came after reporters asked his LTTE counterpart Anton Balasingham what he felt about negotiating with a government which from midnight on December 5 could be dismissed any moment by President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, by the dissolution of parliament.

Balasingham said that his organisation believes the people of Sri Lanka are fully behind the United National Front government led by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and if there is an election it was likely that the government would be returned with an even larger majority.

Prof Peiris agreed and said that "no government should live in fear of the people and we are confident we can win an election should it be called".

Balasingham however added that in view of the support among the people for the peace process and the international acceptance of its progress, he was doubtful whether President Kumaratunga would "do anything to hinder or scuttle the peace process". 

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