Thamilselvan agrees with President:

P-TOMS not political, could be stepping stone for peace

LTTE's political wing leader S. P. Thamilselvan has reiterated the President's stance that the proposed Post-Tsunami Operational Management Structure (P-TOMS) was not a political agreement but an administrative arrangement to grant relief to December 26 Tsunami survivors.

In an interview with AFP while requesting that tsunami relief not be politicised, he said working with the Government to distribute foreign aid could build confidence among the warring parties.

He said the LTTE was prepared for a joint distribution of tsunami relief to those affected by the boxing day catastrophe. He underscored that the proposed P-TOMS which the President had backed publicly was not part of the Norwegian backed peace process but could be a useful confidence-building measure.

"It is purely for the administration of post tsunami aid," Thamilselvan said. According to him, this has no direct link to the peace process but could be a confidence-building measure to take the peace process forward.

Meanwhile barring the JVP there is universal support for the proposed P-TOMS with the larger masses of Sri Lankans, Chief Sangha Nayakes together with the international community are backing it to the hilt.

British Minister for Development Gareth Thomas who was in Sri Lanka last week said there was no secrecy of Britain's support for P-TOMS.

"We hope the P-TOMS will be established soon to ensure equal aid distribution in the South, North and East to benefit survivors of the tsunami," he said.

Meanwhile, traditional left parties came out strongly in support of the proposed P-TOMS, holding the view that the protests of a few should not be allowed to undermine the will of the majority of the people who wants this arrangement implemented.

LSSP Acting Secretary Wimalasiri de Mel observed it had been the country's misfortune that whenever governments in power attempt to grant some form of concession to the minorities, it is stifled by chauvinistic forces.

"We urge the President to proceed with establishing the P-TOMS disregarding whatever the opposition to ensure an equitable distribution of tsunami assistance to the affected people," he said.

Communist Party Deputy Secretary General S. Sudhasinghe wanted the speedy establishment of P-TOMS, saying while helping immensely to relieve the tsunami affected people of their sufferings, it would also serve as a bridge to build confidence between the warring parties.

Meanwhile, New Left Front leader Wickramabahu Karunaratne said, "we should grab even a semblance of an opportunity to get the LTTE into the political mainstream and P-TOMS offered that opportunity while also leading to the wider field of peace talks."

He said the campaign launched against P-TOMS by the chauvinist forces should be defeated at all costs."Is the JHU saying that we should not provide relief to tsunami victims in the North and East?" the NLF leader queried.

Democratic Left Front Leader Vasudeva Nanayakkara noted that the establishment of P-TOMS was a democratic act and that those hardliners including the JHU who consider this as a crime should take responsibility for the present chaos in the country.

He said if we fail to forge unity among all communities, there is nothing to prevent Sri Lanka breaking up like India-Pakistan and North-South Cyprus.

President of the Government Service Trade Union Federation W. H. Piyadasa said his members were fully supportive of the P-TOMS and urged the Government to sign the document without delay.