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From Rodney Martinesz in Berne, Switzerland

The LTTE is optimistic that the stalled peace talks could resume after two weeks when its counter proposals for an Interim Administration will be placed before the government.

According to LTTE top ranker and Secretary General of the LTTE Peace Secretariat S. Pulithevan, the final draft of the counter proposals which were given finishing touches in Paris is now with LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.

Pulithevan was a member of the LTTE's high profile constitutional team which met in Paris to work out their counter proposals.

The LTTE leader will study the document before passing it on to the government after two weeks, Pulithevan told a high profile panel discussion at the fourth Annual Conference of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (Political Affairs Division) in Bern under the title Human Security-Sri Lanka.

This was confirmed by fellow panellist, Director General of the Peace Secretariat Bernard Goonatilleke who said the government was looking forward to have face to face discussions with the LTTE soon instead of exchanging any more letters.

"The government has submitted its proposals and the LTTE has come up with a draft which is now being looked at and will soon be submitted to the Government." "The government in turn will look hard at the counter proposals and let us hope when this draft is placed before it, both sides will sit together and talk instead of exchanging letters," he said.

Addressing reporters in Malaysia, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe also expressed confidence that the peace talks could be revived. "I am confident that they will come to the negotiating table. Now we are dealing with issues which will define also the outcome of future political negotiations. This round of talks is going to be a tough one," he said. Pulithevan said two weeks hence the ball will be in the government's court adding that the government will have to adopt innovative thinking to sort out "interim issues".

"The resumption of talks will depend entirely on the government's response to the counter proposals," the LTTE top ranker stated. According to him, the interim proposals will contain ample safeguards for the protection of all minorities in the East. Fielding questions from participants, Pulithevan categorically stated that any final solution will have to wait until the interim issues were addressed. Then again federalism was still a dirty word among the majority community with sections of the media too biased again st the concept.

"This is still a sensitive issue" Besides, the people of the North demand that their immediate needs be addressed. "During five rounds of peace talks various decisions have been made like the setting up of the Joint Task Force and while the guns have fallen silent there is no peace dividend to our people. In such an environment, people will lose confidence and we cannot promote peace. Hence our insistence that humanitarian aspects be addressed before any serious talks commence."

Questioned on the various killings in the North, the senior LTTEer flatly rejected claims of LTTE involvement in the killings saying this was a law and order problem which the government had failed to tackle. As to political pluralism, several political parties contested elections in the North-East and were now in Parliament.

Goonetilleke saw no problems with opposition support for a Constitutional change aimed at conflict resolution. He recalled that the President was instrumental in formulating a devolution package. To begin with, it was the PA which should be credited for making an genuine attempt at devolution.

The conference was also addressed by Ian Martin, Vice President, International Center for Transitional Justice.

Meanwhile, the follow-up meeting of the Tokyo aid conference scheduled on September 12 will go on as planned in Colombo irrespective of the LTTE's absence. Japanese special envoy Yasushi Akashi is due in Sri Lanka today to chair the meeting, a follow-up to the Tokyo aid conference.

Akashi who is arriving here on a six-day visit will meet President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Ministers Prof. G. L. Peiris, Milinda Moragoda, Rauff Hakeem, Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapakse, President's Foreign Affairs Advisor Lakshman Kadirgamar and SLMM chief Tryggve Tellefsen. He will meet the LTTE hierarchy in the Wanni on Sunday (14).

Akashi is also scheduled to meet Eastern Muslim leaders in Ampara and Kalmunai to discuss their interests and views in the proposed interim administration for the North-East.

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