COLOMBO, Dec 12: A spokesman for the Sri Lankan prime minister on Thursday dismissed speculations that the premier had requested the president to hand over the ministry of defence, which she took over last month.

The spokesman said Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s request to President Chandrika Kumaratunga to take steps for breaking the deadlock in the peace process had been misconstrued.

“It was not an issue that had to do with the military. It was merely that the prime minister was concerned about the manner in which the peace process has stalled,” the spokesman said.

Talks between Prime Minister Wickremesinghe and the president on Wednesday stalled after they failed to arrive at a consensus about a common approach to peace talks with the LTTE.

On Monday there were reports of interference by some pro-LTTE Tamil parliamentarians who had obstructed the military from using a highway.