The Hindu : TNA holds talks with LTTE on manifesto

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 26, 2004

International

International

TNA holds talks with LTTE on manifesto

By V.S. Sambandan

COLOMBO, FEB. 25. Sri Lanka's four-party Tamil National Alliance (TNA) today began discussions with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to draft its manifesto for the coming Parliamentary elections, scheduled for April 2.

The TNA team, led by the former MP and general secretary of the Tamil United Liberation Front, R. Sampanthan, included representatives of other alliance partners — the All Ceylon Tamil Congress, a faction of the Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF-Suresh) and the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation. The LTTE's political wing leader, S.P. Tamilchelvan, the head of its legal division, E. Pararajasingham and political division leaders of Trincomalee and Jaffna took part in the deliberations held in the rebel-held Kilinochchi.

In its 2001 election manifesto, the TNA, which had 15 MPs in the dissolved Parliament, had said that "unless meaningful negotiations are held with the LTTE no just solution can be found to the Tamil national question and that such negotiations should be held immediately only with the LTTE." The LTTE's proposals for an interim self-governing authority, submitted on October 31, are likely to emerge as a main point in the manifesto.

LTTE warning

In Kilinochchi, Mr. Tamilchelvan warned of "serious consequences" if Tamils living in rebel-held Sri Lanka were not permitted to vote in the elections. The issue was reportedly raised by the LTTE with the visiting Norwegian Ambassador, Hans Brattskar, in Kilinochchi today. The LTTE also plans to raise the issue before the European Union.

There has been no decision as yet on polling in rebel-controlled areas, which spreads across the five northeastern electoral districts. If elections are not conducted in rebel-held areas, the Elections department plans to put up cluster polling booths in Government-controlled pockets close to the forward defence lines. It may be recalled that after Tamils were prevented from voting by the Army in 2001, the Supreme Court reprimanded the Army Commander for violating the fundamental rights of the voters. The Elections Department is of the view that the Supreme Court's ruling was an "effective deterrent."

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