The Hindu : International : LTTE to assess Government position

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Apr 26, 2004

International

International

LTTE to assess Government position

By V.S. Sambandan

COLOMBO, APRIL 25. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has said that it would assess the positions adopted by the Sri Lanka President, Chandrika Kumaratunga, on issues such as ``sole representative'' and ``interim administration'' before responding to the call for resumption of talks made by her.

In its first comments to last Thursday's move by Ms. Kumaratunga, requesting Norway to resume peace talks, the LTTE's chief negotiator, Anton S. Balasingham, told a Jaffna-based Tamil newspaper, Uthayan, that the ``LTTE leadership is studying the positions adopted by the Government'' and that it would invite Norway ``only if it was convinced of a satisfactory situation.''

In addition to these two political issues, military sources told The Hindu that the LTTE is also likely to strike a hard bargain before recommencing the negotiations. ``They normally ask for something before starting the talks,'' the sources said and pointed out that a key defence-related issue in the stalled peace talks was the demilitarisation of the northern Jaffna peninsula.

Mr. Balasingham's observations come in the backdrop of the Norwegian position that it would resume its role if invited by both parties. Indicating that the rebels would adopt a different approach to negotiations with the new government, the newspaper said ``unlike the talks with the previous United National Front (UNF) Government'' the Tigers would be ``extremely careful and cautious'' during the talks.

It may be recalled that the Tigers unilaterally pulled out of the talks after six rounds between September 2002 and April 2003, citing ``tardy implementation of the agreements reached'' and ``excessive internationalisation.'' It later demanded a politico-administrative interim structure, with a majority stake for itself. After refusing offers by Colombo for a development-oriented structure for the northeast, the LTTE proposed an `Interim Self-Governing Authority for the NorthEast' (ISGA).

On LTTE's position that it is the ``sole representative'' of the Sri Lanka Tamils, Mr. Balasingham said: ``Talks were held with the previous Government on the basis that the Tigers are the sole representatives.'' That position, Mr. Balasingham said, was ``asserted in the Parliamentary election'' on April 2, with the LTTE-backed Tamil National Alliance winning 22 seats in the northern and eastern electorates on the twin planks of `sole representatives' and the interim administration proposals.

``The first question is if the Government is proposing talks with the acceptance of that position,'' the newspaper quoted him as saying. Similarly, on the ISGA proposals, which demand an LTTE-majority interim administration, with plenary powers, Mr. Balasingham said the Tigers would see if the Government would accept it as the ``wish of the Tamil people''.

UPFA wins provincial poll

On the southern political front, the ruling UPFA, headed by Ms. Kumaratunga, won the North Western Provincial Council, election for which were held yesterday. The UPFA won 29 seats in the 50-member Council, followed by the UNP (19 seats) and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (two seats).

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