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CBK's office remains mum
The President's Office is keeping mum for the third week running over reports about a second swearing-in by President Chandrika Kumaratunga after the 1999 Presidential elections, amidst a debate whether the President's term would be extended until 2006.

Presidential spokesman Harim Peiris who last week said that he had to check with the President's Secretary W.J.S. Karunaratne was not available for comment the entirety of this week on the subject.

Last night when The Sunday Times contacted Mr. Peiris's residence just prior to going to press, we were asked what the story was about, and then told that he was not available. Despite the controversy surrounding the President's term, the President's Office has so far made no official statement whether a second swearing-in ceremony took place in November 2000 after the President was sworn in earlier in December 1999 on her re-election that same year.

The Sunday Times and the Sunday Lankadeepa exclusively reported on December 21 about the second swearing-in ceremony. The Daily Mirror later quoted Chief Justice Sarath Silva confirming the second swearing-in 2000.

The issue about the second swearing-in ceremony has sparked off a debate whether the second ceremony was legally valid and accordingly whether the President could remain in office for a six-year term until 2006. The UNF Government is challenging the second ceremony as illegal.

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