International
Tamils hope for UNP win
By Nirupama Subramanian
COLOMBO, DEC. 6. Sri Lanka's war-weary Tamil minority has set its hopes by the United National Party (UNP)'s victory in the general election for early peace talks between the Government and the LTTE, but much will depend on whether the President and the new Prime Minister can see eye to eye on the subject.
The UNP election campaign was based on the promise to revive Norwegian facilitation for peace talks with the LTTE, preceded by a cease-fire and a lifting of a government embargo on essentials to rebel-held areas in the north.
But the LTTE's top representative in London, Mr. Anton Balasingham, said recently he did not foresee peace talks if the UNP won the election predicting that Parliament would be in constant attrition with the President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunga, leading to political chaos and instability.
The obvious implication was that there would be no use negotiating with the Government in such a situation. When asked earlier this week if she would be able to work with the UNP leader, Mr. Wickremesinghe, as the Prime Minister, Ms. Kumaratunga said it would be ``difficult'' because of their different approaches to dealing with the LTTE.
She said she would never allow a cease-fire before talks began and progressed to the mutual satisfaction of both parties, nor would she permit the removal of a 1998 ban on the LTTE, which the group had demanded as a pre-condition for peace talks.
``We are straightforward. No Eelam, no terrorism, then we have talks,'' she said. A two-year process to begin peace talks through the facilitation of Norway almost led to talks earlier this year, but the effort was stalled amid mutual recrimination by both sides and the political turmoil triggered off by the PA's loss of majority in Parliament.
The LTTE had made it known to Norway that it would not resume till there was a stable government in Colombo. Mr. Wickremesinghe said he did not agree with the LTTE's assessment that a UNP Government with a PA President would be unstable.
Meanwhile, the four-party Tamil National Alliance that contested the election on a pro-LTTE platform, promising to force the next government to enter into peace talks with the group if voted to Parliament in strength, is expected to sweep three of the five north-east districts in which it contested.
Results have not yet been declared for any of the districts but in the votes counted so far, the TNA is far ahead of its main rival, the Eelam People's Democratic Party, and other contestants.
It has been projected to win as many as 15 seats in Parliament, but it might not have any bargaining strength if the UNP secures a majority in Parliament and forms the government on its own steam.
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