Friday, Mar 11, 2005
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By V. S. Sambandan
COLOMBO, MARCH 10. The Sri Lankan Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) are reportedly closer to an agreement on a joint mechanism for post-tsunami reconstruction after a meeting between the Norwegian Special Adviser to the peace process, Erik Solheim, and the LTTE's chief negotiator, Anton S. Balasingham, in London on Wednesday. According to sources, Mr. Solheim and Mr. Balasingham discussed issues relating to a post-tsunami reconstruction and the Government's concerns over reports of an LTTE airstrip in rebel-held northern Sri Lanka, during a two-hour meeting yesterday. Though the two sides are "nearer than before" to an agreement, discussions were continuing, sources said. According to a report in the Tamil daily, Sudar Oli, the LTTE has "accepted" a set of proposals brought by Mr. Solheim for discussion with Mr. Balasingham yesterday. There was no independent confirmation of the LTTE's position, and the Norwegian facilitators did not go beyond saying that they had met and discussed the issue with Mr. Balasingham. "We have given our consent to the Norwegian proposal. The ball is now in the President's court. It now depends on how she will handle the situation," Mr. Balasingham was quoted as telling the paper after yesterday's meeting. The details of the proposal reportedly agreed to by the Tigers were not made public. The latest discussions between Mr. Solheim and Mr. Balasingham are against the backdrop of ongoing efforts since January to put in place a joint-mechanism for post-tsunami reconstruction and the distribution of aid in northern and eastern Sri Lanka. While there is a broad agreement on a range of issues, the sticking points between the two sides are on access to the sea, the composition of ethnic representatives in the joint mechanism team and the mode for channelling aid to the LTTE-held areas. On the Government's concern over reports of an LTTE airstrip at Iranamadu, in rebel-held northern Sri Lanka, Mr. Balasingham told Mr. Solheim that it was "an old airstrip," which was in existence before the ceasefire agreement. The issue was raised formally through the Norwegian facilitators, in a recent letter by the Sri Lankan President, Chandrika Kumaratunga, to the Norwegian Prime Minster, Kjell Magne Bondevik.
LTTE team for Europe
Meanwhile, a four-member team of the LTTE today left Sri Lanka on an official visit to European cities. The team, led by the LTTE's political wing leader, S. P. Tamilchelvan, would visit Norway, Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland and is scheduled to visit the headquarters of the European Union in Brussels.
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