|
|
 |
| Sunday, 14 April 2002 |
 |
|
 |
News |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
LTTE's stance on peace, a major breakthrough by P. Krishnasamy "The attitude of the LTTE towards the ongoing peace process is genuine and sincere. LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran has expressed trust on premier Ranil Wickremesinghe and optimism on his peace initiatives. This certainly is a major breakthrough." This was the immediate reaction of Minister of Estate Infrastructure and Housing and CWC leader, Arumugam Thondaman, to LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran's remarks at last Wednesday's media conference at Vattakatchi near Kilinochchi. The Minister has been invited for talks with the LTTE today. CWC sources said that a CWC delegation headed by the Minister and comprising Deputy Minister Muthu Sivalingam, CWC vice president M.S. Sellasamy, CWC parliamentarian R. Yogarajan and CWC senior official Harry Chandrasekara, will meet the LTTE leaders in the Vanni today. Minister Arumugam Thondaman said that the LTTE had expressed its desire to establish a relationship with political parties of the minorities and this was a welcome move. Upcountry People's Front (UPF) leader, Minister of Community Development and Deputy Minister of Irrigation and Water Management, Periyasamy Chandrasekaran, also expressed similar views over the remarks of the LTTE leader at the media conference. "Their commitment for peace and their political ideologies were clearly evident from their remarks at the media conference. Peace would invariably mean the political future of the minority communities and that fact was stressed at the LTTE's media conference", Chandrasekaran said. Although the LTTE had not completely abandoned its "Eelam" demand, there would certainly be major changes in its stance when the peace process reached its final stages, he said. A UPF delegation comprising the Minister and frontliners will also be meeting the LTTE leaders today in Vanni. SLMC Chairman and Minister of Highways, A.L.M. Athaullah, said that the LTTE leader had not made a formal announcement on the resettlement of the displaced Muslims of the North but he had said he would do so after an interim administration was set up. But this was somewhat disappointing, the Minister said. "Their firm stand on the Tamils' right for self-determination is indeed laudable. Their invitation, in recognition of the Muslims' aspirations, to the SLMC for talks is a gesture of goodwill which would help foster mutual trust in the future", he said. An SLMC delegation led by its leader and Minister Rauff Hakeem met the LTTE leaders in the Vanni yesterday. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
