Salvadorean peace talks

Press, 6 October 1987, Page 10

Salvadorean peace talks

NZPA-Reuter

San Salvador

The Government of El Salvador and Left-wing guerrilla leaders have opened talks on how to end the civil war which has killed more than 60,000 people. As President Jose Napoleon Duarte and the rebels sat down for their first face-to-face meeting since 1984, there was widespread scepticism over prospects of success. The guerrillas demand a power-sharing arrange-

ment and refuse to dismantle their military forces. The Government insists they lay down their weapons and join the political process. “We maintain our position,” said Guillermo Ungo, president of the Revolutionary Front, on arrival at the airport on Sunday. “We come with a constructive spirit but the dialogue is very complicated." The talks opened five hours behind schedule. Mr Duarte said two

days before the talks began “I can never negotiate (sharing) power ... this would be against the Constitution.” The guerrilla delegation to the talks at the Vatican Embassy in San Salvador . was made up of Mr Ungo, his deputy Ruben Zamora, and Revolutionary Front officials, Hector Oqueli and Jorge Villacorte. The Front is the political wing of the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN), the umbrella for five fighting groups.

The FMLN was represented by Shafik Handal of the Communist Party, Jorge Melendez of the Revolutionary People’s Party (ERP), Facundo Guardado and Leonel Gonzales, both of the Popular Liberation Forces. Talks to end the war collapsed in 1984 after two rounds in which neither side would make concessions on what is still the main point of contention — powersharing.