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by Ranga Jayasuriya

North-East Muslim Parliamentarians divided on political leanings, at last sat down to discuss the Muslim participation in the proposed Interim Administration. MPs who attended an extensive five rounds of discussions last week and early this week are yet to agree on the form of power sharing in the proposed IA, even though the number of devolution options such as an autonomous administrative council, an apex body and a co-chairmanship in the IA with veto powers had been taken for discussion.

However, all indications are that the Muslim leadership is likely to demand autonomy in financial management in the IA, in an apparent bid to have a safeguard for its interests in an assembly where the Tigers will have the greater say.

Though the MPs from the Muslim Congress and two of its breakaway factions, National Unity Alliance and the Ashroff Congress may agree on any of these options, what really matters for it to become a reality is the consent of Tigers.

Since the inception of peace talks, the Tigers have given mixed signals on Muslim concerns. SLMC leader Minister Rauff Hakeem met Balasingham and Prabhakaran to discuss the Muslim cause and every meeting ended on a happy note. But the Tigers' dealing on Muslim issues has always been ambiguous.

And Hakeem's inability to promote the Muslim cause in the Government's peace agenda resulted in an internal party coup which saw the SLMC divided under Hakeem and Athaulla. Hakeem will not commit the same blunder again. He knows that his political future is at stake if he fails to have a say for Muslims in the Government's peace negotiations. According to SLMC sources the Tigers have agreed to a separate Muslim delegation when the Government and the LTTE deal with the "co-issues".

And little disagreement that an Interim Administration which has extensive powers on the administration of the region for a considerable time is definitely not a petty issue.

And any neglect of Eastern Muslim interests, will have dire consequences. With their numerical strength expanding, the Muslims are no longer ready to play second fiddle to the region's Tamils, which is the very reason for the Muslim demand for an autonomous body in the East.

As the Government proposals have been sent to the Wanni any moment now, the Tigers are planning to set up a high profile consultative committee to guide their peace negotiators in future talks.

The proposed committee, for which Tigers are now selecting and consulting Tamil experts here and abroad is expected to advise the LTTE peace delegation on the legal and constitutional implications of the Interim Administration and future agreements.

Tigers latest move comes in the wake of Thamilselvan's failed attempt to visit Balasingham and Tamil legal experts in London where the LTTE political chief was expected to seek legal advice on the Government's IA proposals. However the British Embassy in Colombo said it would not grant a visa to the LTTE political chief as the Tigers are considered a foreign terrorist organisation in England.

Though the LTTE leadership reiterates commitment to a negotiated settlement -Thamilselvan told journalists in Kilinochchi last weekend, that the LTTE is ready for war if it is "imposed" by a change in Government. The conduct of some of its area leaders is not in the spirit of the Ceasefire Agreement.

Deputy chief of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission Hagrup Haukland this week came out strongly against the Tigers for not fully complying with the conditions of the Ceasefire Agreement. Pointing to the LTTE's defiance, despite the SLMM ruling for the immediate removal of the LTTE camp built in the Government controlled area, Haukland said this had led the SLMM to a "rethink".

Haukland later charged the Tigers with denying the SLMM monitors' access to certain parts of the LTTE held Wanni and East. In an apparent tit for tat to the security forces maintained "high security zones" in Jaffna peninsula, the Tigers have set up "higher security zones" in the Wanni and some areas of the East and denied the Scandinavian monitors access.

In some areas, Haukland said the civilian traffic is permitted freely while the SLMM monitors are required to have a special permission to visit them. Surely the monitors must have found it an insult to them and their mandate.

The Ceasefire Agreement signed February last year requires both parties to ensure the freedom of movement of SLMM monitors to perform their duties.

The SLMM should be provided immediate access to the areas where ceasefire violations are alleged to have taken place, according to article 3.10 of the truce agreement.

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