The following statement was issued today by the Office of the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan:
The Secretary-General was profoundly shocked to learn about the indiscriminate terrorist act on Saturday against the President of Sri Lanka, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, in which there were a large number of innocent casualties. He has sent her a message wishing her a speedy recovery.
The Secretary-General has also sent his condolences to the families of all the dead and injured and has extended his best wishes for the speedy and full recovery of those injured by the two terrorist bombings in Colombo on 18 December.
The Secretary-General wishes to reiterate his condemnation of terrorism from whatever quarter. He is concerned that these continuing acts of terrorism in Sri Lanka may make the prospects for achieving peace even more difficult. He expresses the hope that the presidential elections on 21 December will be credible and, in particular, free of any additional forms of violence.
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