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No solution within unitary Constitution, says LTTE

V.S. Sambandan

COLOMBO: The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on Wednesday ruled out a solution to the decades-long separatist conflict within the unitary Constitution.

If Mr. Rajapakse's "regime adopts a political stand ruling out the Tamil homeland concept and insists on a resolution of the racial conflict within the unitary Constitution, the LTTE would be left with no alternative other than to endeavour hard to respond effectively to the Tamil call for self rule," the LTTE said in a statement.

The LTTE's comments were based on an interview by Mr. Rajapakse to a western news agency earlier this week. However, the President's office on Wednesday said the President was quoted out of context in a pro-LTTE website.

The President's office said Mr. Rajapakse had rejected the concept of a "separate homeland in the north and east." He had "at no stage said nor is he of the view that there is no motherland for Tamils in Sri Lanka," the state-run Daily News said. Mr. Rajapakse, in his interview, had ruled out secessionism saying "there is only one country. We can share power, not a separate state."

Geneva talks

The President's reported comments and the LTTE's response gain significance as they come ahead of the forthcoming direct talks between Colombo and the LTTE in Geneva on February 22 and 23.

The issue of a political solution is not scheduled to figure in the Geneva talks. The Government and the LTTE have said that the talks would be on issues relating to the implementation of the ceasefire agreement. The Geneva talks would be the first direct negotiations between Colombo and the LTTE after the latter's unilateral pullout from peace talks in 2003.

Saran meets Rajapakse

Earlier this week, the Foreign Secretary, Shyam Saran, met the Sri Lankan President, Mr. Rajapakse, the Foreign Minister, Mangala Samaraweera, and the Sri Lankan Foreign Secretary, H.M.G.S. Palihakkara.

Mr. Saran was in transit in Colombo en route to New Delhi from Male when he met the Sri Lankan leaders. Officials described the visit as "a courtesy call" on the Sri Lankan leadership.

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