August 18, 2002	Sunday	Jamadi-us-Saani 8, 1423

COLOMBO, Aug 17: The chief of Sri Lankan Muslim Congress, Mr Rauf Hakeem, has called upon the government to start preparations for holding provincial elections in the eastern region of the country, largely populated by Muslims.

Mr Hakeem made the suggestion during talks with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe recently.

TALKS WITH LTTE: Three ministers will represent the Sri Lankan government at the talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Thailand next month.

The ministers are G.L. Peiris, Milinda Moragoda and Rauf Hakeem.

A government spokesman claimed on Friday that the preliminary discussions between Colombo and LTTE theoritician Anton Balasingham in Oslo this week were “immensely successful” and pointed out both parties had “agreed that the clauses in the MOU signed on Feb 22 hasd been successfully implemented”.

The Norwegian mediators present at the Oslo discussion confirmed the claim.