“What we are trying to establish is not a government in exile,” – Visuvanathan Rudrakumaran

Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) to hold elections for what they called Transitional Government of Sri Lankan Tamils living abroad. The announcement was made by Visuvanathan Rudrakumaran who claimed to be coordinator of the committee for the formation of provisional Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE). He said the elections would be held next year.

The claim by Rudrakumaran came as Colombo is preparing to undertake local bodies elections in Jaffna and Vavuniya, where election fever is at its height. “What we are trying to establish is not a government in exile,” a website quoted Rudrakumaran as saying. “We are very confident that this initiative will succeed. Even though the Government of Sri Lanka has brutally crushed the armed struggle, they cannot quell the Tamils’ thirst for dignity, equality and freedom,” the LTTE leader was quoted by Indian news-magazine ‘Tehelka’ from an unknown destination.

“We envisage a Transnational Government (TG) that does not require a host state. This government will be elected by the Tamil diaspora. There is no precedent of a TG created by an ethnic group,” he said.