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by Ranil Wijayapala

The peace process will gather fresh momentum this week with the LTTE preparing to visit Paris to discuss the Government's Interim Administration (IA) proposals while Norway's Special Envoy Eric Solheim arrives in the island to have decisive talks on the Wan Ela camp issue.

Diplomatic sources told the Daily News yesterday that arrangements are now being prepared to facilitate a 20-member LTTE delegation headed by LTTE Political Wing leader S. P. Thamilselvan to visit Paris to have their final discussion on the IA proposals.

"The LTTE is planning to commence their 10-day visit to Paris most probably on August 20", the sources added. The final arrangements are to be finalised following Norway special envoy Eric Solheim's discussion with the Government and the LTTE in Colombo and Kilinochchi.

Solheim is to take up the Wan Ela camp issue with the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) and the Government after arriving in the country on a four-day visit on Tuesday. The Acting Head of the SLMM Hagrup Haukland following the LTTE's refusal to change their stance on the Wan Ela camp issue has written to the Norwegian facilitators last week that the Wan Ela camp issue has become a serious challenge to the peace process.

The SLMM has asked the Norwegian facilitators to take up the issue as the LTTE is not abiding by the SLMM ruling. Thamilselvan following his week-long visit to the East last week informed the SLMM that they are not ready to abide by the SLMM ruling to dismantle the camp.

Thamilselvan was in the East for more than one week to educate the LTTE Eastern area leadership on the IA proposals and the LTTE stance over the proposals prior to making arrangements for a meeting in a European country to finalise their counter proposals.

Thamilselvan will head for Paris to have a face to face meeting with LTTE Chief Negotiator and theoretician Anton Balasingham who has temporarily withdraw from the mainstream negotiations due to ill health, to finalise LTTE counter proposals.

The high profile 'constitutional consultative committee' of the LTTE will have intensive discussions on the IA proposals along with legal and constitutional experts including both LTTE and non-LTTE representatives. Dr. Viswanathan Rudrakumar is tipped to play a key role in these discussions along with Dr. Jay Maheswaran.

LTTE sources in Kilinochchi last week revealed that, the Tigers have decided on a procedure for resettlement in the high security zones to be included in the counter proposals.

"We need to work out a programme on the resettlement in the High Security Zones," an LTTE spokesman said.

"An agreement in this regard is important to address the concerns of thousands of Internally Displaced People".

The LTTE is planning to submit their counter proposals to the Government in early September to get the stalled peace talks back on track.

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