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PM replies to Balasingham : Govt seeks meeting with LTTE

by Ranga Jayasuriya

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Sunday wrote to the LTTE underscoring the importance of a meeting between the Government and the LTTE to explain the innovative administrative structure for the North-East reconstruction and development proposed by the Government.

The Premier said he was writing to Norwegian Foreign Minister, Jan Petersen requesting the facilitators to arrange a dialogue which will enable the Government to explain and clarify its proposals for an administrative mechanism for the North-East development.

Responding to LTTE concerns outlined in Chief Negotiator Anton Balasingham's letter on May 30 which rejected the Government's proposals for an Apex Body for the North-East rehabilitation, the Prime Minister said that the structure proposed by the Government will live up to the expectations of both parties.

"The composition and the size of the Apex Body would be the subject of discussion between the parties. But undoubtedly the LTTE will participate in the Apex Body and have a majority voice in its deliberations, subject to effective safeguards which are mutually agreed upon for Muslim and Sinhala interests," the Prime Minister said in his letter to Balasingham.

The Prime Minister's letter was sent to the Norwegian Foreign Minister Jan Petersen who during the day itself delivered it to LTTE chief negotiator Balasingham and Political Chief Thamilselvam, Norwegian diplomatic sources said.

The Prime Minister said the proposed administrative structure for the North-East reconstruction and rehabilitation will be "efficient and accountable, will safeguard interests of all communities in the North-East, enable the LTTE to play a significant role and will not be in conflict with the laws of Sri Lanka".

Balasingham in his last week's response to the Prime Minister said that the Tigers were worried that the government's proposals had not specified LTTE's participatory role in certain aspects of the proposed mechanism, especially in the policy making and operational levels.

Clarifying the proposals, the Prime Minister in his response said the LTTE will have effective participation at all the levels of the administrative structure.

"We are convinced that the structure proposed by us taken as a whole, will fully enable the accomplishment of the objectives which you have stipulated in respect of development, rehabilitation and humanitarian activities in the North-East," he said.

"We are also confident that this fact can be made clear to you if the opportunity for a comprehensive discussion about the content of the proposals could be arranged at this juncture," he added.

He said it is only through substantive discussion and communication that a practical resolution of the matter is possible given the "complex and innovative character of the element comprising this proposal"

Authoritative sources said that the Government does not expect a reply in written form from the LTTE and would prefer to go for a meeting with the LTTE to iron out the differences.

"A meeting will be more constructive since the continuing exchange of letters is yet to bring a compromise," diplomatic sources said.

A spokesman for the LTTE political headquarters in Kilinochchi confirmed that its leadership had received the letter adding that "it will respond as soon as possible after carefully studying the letter".

In response to the LTTE demands for an interim administration set up for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the North-East, the Government last week proposed an Apex Body for the North-East Development.

The Tigers rejected the proposals pointing that their participatory role in the mechanism is not specified and that it is too dependent on the Government Ministries and departments which the Tigers say are too bureaucratic and inefficient.

The Apex Body (council) was expected to be a policy advisory and review board and carry responsibility for planning, prioritising and monitoring of the implementation of the projects undertaken in the North-East.

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