The United States has strongly urged Sri Lankan leaders to end their bitter power struggle that has seriously undermined an internationally-backed peace bid with Tamil rebels, diplomats said on Saturday.
The US Ambassador here, Jeffrey Lunstead, delivered letters from Secretary Colin Powell to President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe stressing the need to end their squabbling, diplomats said.
Sri Lanka's peace broker Norway pulled out of its role in November saying there was no clarity as to who was really in charge after Kumaratunga took the key defence ministry from the control of her rival premier.
"The secretary has sent private letters to the president and prime minister and both letters communicated his belief that a speedy resolution of the current impasse is needed," US embassy spokesman Bruce A. Lohof said. "He (the secretary) urged the two leaders to work together to resolve the dispute."
The move followed a similar but a more blunt statement from Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage that the bitter political struggle between Sri Lanka's prime minister and the president was denting hopes for peace.
Armitage last month warned the political crisis "would have a negative impact on the peace process until a clarification of responsibilities that would allow the prime minister to resume peace negotiations can be found."
"The deputy secretary said the current political impasse in Sri Lanka cannot be allowed to continue," the state department said in a statement issued in Washington earlier in the week.
Armitage said the US would consult with peace broker Norway, Japan, and the European Union "to define a way forward after taking stock of the situation."
"The United States stands behind Sri Lanka in its search for peace and looks forward to an early resumption of negotiations between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam."
President Kumaratunga who is travelling to attend a South Asian leaders summit in Islamabad on Sunday has accused Wickremesinghe of using their power struggle to justify the "failure" of his peace bid with the Tigers.
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