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LTTE to reject Govt proposal on interim administration

<b>PK Balachanddran
Colombo, August 14 </b>

The LTTE has said that it will reject any proposal that the Sri Lankan government may submit as an alternative to its own proposal for an Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) for the Tamil-dominated North Eastern Province (NEP).

The Head of the Political Wing of the LTTE, SP Tamilselvan, told the visiting Japanese envoy, Akio Suda, in Kilinochchi on Saturday, that the ISGA proposed by his organization had been drafted keeping the best interests of the Tamil people in mind and that it had the sanction of the Tamil people.

He said that the LTTE had already rejected a counter proposal (for an Interim Council) made by the government, and warned that any further drafts would also be rejected. The talks should be only on the LTTE's proposal for an ISGA, Tamilselvan said.

Japan is a co-chair of the Tokyo conference on rehabilitation and development aid to Sri Lanka. Because the aid package of US$ 4.5 billion is tied to progress in the peace process, Japan and other co-chair have been urging both the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE to restart the peace talks. Japan even has a Special Peace Envoy for Sri Lanka, Yasushi Akashi.

He has been visiting Colombo and Kilinochchi frequently to urge the two sides to move forward.

Earlier this week, the chief of the Sri Lankan government's Peace Secretariat, Jayantha Dhanapala, told newsmen in Jaffna, that the peace talks should take up both the government's proposal and the LTTE's.

But the government is in the process of drafting a proposal, according to the cabinet spokesman, Mangala Samaraweera. The LTTE had submitted its proposal in October 2003, and has been sitting pretty since then.

Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan government has been making very determined efforts to start the peace talks.

The Sri Lankan Prime Minister, Mahinda Rajapakse, met his Norwegian counterpart, Kjell Magne Bondevik, in Athens on Saturday, and told him that President Chandrika Kumaratunga and he, were "totally committed" to seeking a negotiated settlement of the ethnic crisis and eager to start the peace talks.

The President and he were "appreciative" of Norway's efforts and initiatives in this regard, Rajapakse said.

Norway is the official "facilitator" of the peace process.

As part of confidence building, the Sri Lankan government recently allowed the LTTE's Peace Secretariat to import duty free vehicles, even though this step came in for some flak by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP),a partner in the United Peoples' Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government in Colombo.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_948...83,00050002.htm