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by P.Krishnaswamy

The LTTE's demand for a North-East interim administration as a pre-condition for participation in the Tokyo donor conference is being viewed as conducive to the currently stalled negotiating process by both the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) and the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) although the main Opposition has come out strongly, against the demand, calling it 'unconstitutional'.

Lands Minister Dr.Rajitha Senaratne told the "Sunday Observer" that an interim administration for the North and East was a commitment under the UNP election manifesto and it was not unconstitutional since Provincial Councils already existed in all other provinces.

In 1998, President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga had openly announced that she would hand over North-East administration exclusively to the LTTE for a total 10 year period but the UNF government was only considering an interim administration with its own participation and other political parties represented from the Tamil areas, Minister Senaratne said. " Everyone should be happy that the LTTE has now offered to undertake development, rehabilitation and reconstruction work in those areas and thus contribute to the economic welfare of the country", he said.

An interim administration was originally proposed under the Indo-Lanka Peace Agreement of 1987, he added."

If the LTTE's demand for an interim administration was exclusively for the purpose of development and rehabilitation activities it was acceptable to them provided also that it was confined the pre-dominant Tamil areas, Minister and SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem said. Similar arrangements for the pre-dominant Muslim areas should be left to the discretion of their elected representatives, he further said.

" Within the very short time available before the donor conference in Tokyo, political parties cannot be compelled to arrive at a consensus on the vexed question of interim administration within the constitutional framework since it would also need parliamentary approval", the Minister said.

An interim administration for the North and East is nothing new , TULF President Ananda Sankari MP told. He said that the request of the LTTE on the matter was reasonable and all should extend their co-operation and support for that proposal. He further said:

" As far back as 1987 the question was discussed between former President J. R. Jayawardene and former Indian PM late Rajiv Gandhi and the JR Government agreed to set up an interim administration to be headed by one of three persons nominated by the LTTE. It was very unfortunate that the proposal did not go through.

If an interim administration had been set up then, the destruction of thousands of lives, several billion rupees worth of properties and other calamities could have been averted." PA spokesman Dr. Sarath Amunugama MP said that establishing an interim administration outside the Sri Lankan constitution would not be acceptable to anyone in the country. "We have taken an oath to defend the constitution of the country and the Prime Minister has taken the oath thrice, once as MP, and as Minister and finally as PM", he said.

The LTTE which was demanding an interim administration had not said a word about desisting violence and the decommissioning of arms, he said. Giving an interim administration, without a corresponding pledge of giving up violence by the LTTE will be foolhardy, Dr.Amunugama further said.

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