Archives

by Uditha Kumarasinghe

A future PA Government will continue discussions with the LTTE with a view to finding a lasting political settlement to the ethnic issue. However, an interim administration should be given to the LTTE only after a final settlement is agreed upon by all parties, Chief Opposition Whip Mangala Samaraweera told the PA weekly media briefing yesterday.

He said before an interim administration is given to the LTTE, the Government must reach a final settlement with the LTTE. " This is the approach which will be followed by the next PA Government."

"The PA is also not opposed to the interim council, if it follows certain guidelines and principles. During the eight years of the PA Government we said that we would agree to an interim council once a final solution has been agreed upon by all the parties.

The PA also laid down very stringent conditions to the LTTE. One is that the LTTE must renounce the demand for a separate state and the decommissioning of arms. We also insisted that the LTTE interim council must be pluralistic. It must have the representation of non-LTTE parties and it must be within the constitution. PA still stands by these conditions.

Commenting on the interim council issue, Samaraweera said section in the TNA including Mr. Sambandan in a letter a to the Prime Minister tried to distort the concept of an interim council by attempting to show that this is nothing new and an interim council which the LTTE asks has already been mooted by the former People's Alliance Government as well.

The TNA further said even as far back as 1987, an interim council was offered to the LTTE under the Indo Lanka Agreement and therefore this is nothing new.

Samaraweera said in the book " Indo- Sri Lanka relations, Ethnic Conflict Document 1947 to 2000", an Indian research press book gives the actual details on the Indo Lanka Agreement and the interim council offered by late President J. R. Jayawardene in 1987.

"In fact, on September 27, 1987 Prabhakaran himself wrote to High Commissioner Dixit and agreed to this interim council which was a multi party interim council. It really was an interim council. Interim means, short term.

Interim council cannot be an end by itself and it must always be a means to an end," he said.

The ultimate solution of President Jayawardene was the Provincial Council System and to get the LTTE to agree to contest the Provincial Council Election. "Article 7 of that agreement says that Prabhakaran agreed that the LTTE would fully cooperate with the implementation of the Indo. Lanka Agreement. he said.

Therefore at that time, this interim council was offered on the basis of a final solution which was the Provincial Councils under very stringent conditions, Samaraweera said.

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager