Brussels, 05/10/2000 (Agence Europe) - The French Council Presidency issued the following declaration on behalf of the EU:
"The European Union condemns the atrocious suicide attack on 2 October 2000 which claimed the lives of a candidate from the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, Mr Baithullah, and eighteen other people.
The European Union has shown its support for the electoral process under way in Sri Lanka by sending an observer mission for the parliamentary elections to be held in the country on 10 October 2000. The European Union urges all parties in Sri Lanka to act with restraint so that the people of Sri Lanka can exercise their democratic right to vote in the parliamentary elections in an environment free of violence and intimidation.
The Central and Eastern European countries associated with the European Union, the associated countries Cyprus, Malta and Turkey, and the EFTA countries Iceland and Liechtenstein, members of the European Economic Area, align themselves with this declaration".