UNP suffers setback

By V.S.Sambandan

COLOMBO, FEB. 3. Sri Lanka approaches its 52nd Independence Day, to be celebrated at a public function in the Parliament enclave tomorrow, with mixed signals on the conflict resolution front. The southern polity is in a state of flux with the nation watching if the new public pronouncements on a bipartisan approach to resolve the decades-long separatist conflict would stand the test of realpolitik.

While the ruling People's Alliance (PA) managed a coup of sorts late last year by winning over five Opposition MPs to support the President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunga, the Opposition United National Party (UNP) has, for its part, offered support for seeing the proposed Constitutional reforms through parliament. The UNP suffered a setback today with the Supreme Court striking down the expulsion of the five MPs as invalid as the party had acted without conducting a proper inquiry. While this keeps alive the membership of the five MPs, the UNP would now have to go through the due process on the expulsion.

On the initiatives towards conflict resolution, mixed signals come from the Vanni. While the Jaffna Bishop told a Tamil newspaper that he saw no possibility of negotiations and that the Tigers were gearing up for more aggression, the Bishop of Mannar has expressed his optimism that the LTTE is willing to negotiate.

While much of the progress on resolving the conflict revolves around the much-required bi-partisan approach between the PA and the UNP, the present initiatives are a review of the proposals within the PA.

The public presence of Ms. Kumaratunga at tomorrow's celebrations is uncertain, with the state-media reporting that the President is `indisposed' and ``will rest for a few days.'' Ms. Kumaratunga, who survived a suicide-bomb attack on December 18 has not appeared in public functions.

Suicide-bomber `identified'

The woman suicide-bomber behind the December 18 assassination attempt on Ms. Kumaratunga has reportedly been identified as Thamilchelvi from the Vanni. Citing military intelligence, a Sri Lankan newspaper, the Daily Mirror today said that Thamilchelvi along with four accomplices had come to Vavuniya town last July and had obtained temporary passes to reside there. Subsequently, the four had come to Colombo ``after making certain changes on those passes.''

Thamilchelvi had reportedly ``gone to many meetings'' organised by the ruling People's Alliance (PA) meetings during the Presidential campaign but ``she had not been able to get near the President on a single occasion.''

That senior military officers continue to remain high on the LTTE hit-list was further reiterated when the report named military bosses as targets of the suicide-bombers.

The newspaper reported that the suicide-bombers were assigned to kill the Deputy Defence Minister, Gen. Anuruddha Ratwatte, the Army Commander, Lt. Gen. Sirilal Weerasooriya, the Chief of Army Staff, Maj. Gen. Lionel Balagalle, Maj. Gen. Neil Dias, Maj. Gen. Janaka Perera, the former Army spokesperson, Brigadier Sunil Tennakoon, Maj. T.N. Muthalib, Capt. Edward and Inspector of Police, Mr. Nilabdeen, who was heading probes into the LTTE's activities.

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Section  : International
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