Colombo, Sri Lanka: The LTTE has responded to President Rajapakse's appointment of a multi ethnic committee of experts to go into devolution of power and to chalk out an outline of proposals.

S.P.Thamilselvan, the LTTE Political wing leader, responding to President’s proposal has accused him of duplicity. He has pointed out two matters

• President has not implemented the practical and basic aspects of the Ceasefire Agreement.
• He has suggested power sharing under a unitary state, a solution which the Tamil community rejected long ago. It is not clear whether the committee of experts appointed by the President will recommend a solution going beyond the ambit of sharing powers under a ‘Unitary State’ .

But, reflecting on President’s policies spelled out during the election campaign, his ‘Mahinda Chinthanaya’ , the speeches of his political allies, statements issued by the parties in his Front, President’s recent speeches and the persons he has appointed to the advisory committee, it becomes clear that there is no intention of moving away from the concept of devolution of power under a Unitary State, which has always been a handy tool for oppression.

Thamilselvan has also pointed out the fact that the Tamil community and their representatives have in the past turned down invitations for any deliberations for any solution within the frame work of a ‘Unitary state’ and that they have boycotted such conferences in the past and that they will boycott them in the future too. It has been reiterated categorically that the Tamils object to any deliberations or dialogues on such a line. Therefore it can be said in no uncertain terms that any proposals by this committee about sharing of powers within a unitary state will not find acceptance by the Tamils and the role of the committee will be a futile exercise.

It is conceived that the appointment of the committee and its meetings are another attempt to drag the resolution of the ethnic problem in the same manner that it had been done in the past by every successive government by holding all party conferences, Parliamentary Select Committees, round table conferences etc.

We like to point out that if the President is earnest in taking the peace process forward then he must stop killings in the North-East, contain the activities of the paramilitary groups, put an end to harassment of the Tamils and create a congenial atmosphere for the resumption of peace talks with Norway as the facilitator.

We also refer to the fact that within one week of Mahinda Rajapakse assuming office as President of this country, Prabaharan, the LTTE Leader announced in his Address on the Heroes’ Day. that since the President is considered a ‘pragmatist’, they want to see what he has to offer as a solution. Although he did not give a deadline, he stressed a time frame. What he meant was that it could be a year and at the most it could a year and now we have less than a few months to go. The President has to offer his solution before that, to find peace.

Will the president hold hands with the Buddhist and Sinhala extremists and tow their hard-line policies to keep his party in power or will he realize the gravity of the national ethnic issue and offer a fair solution to resuscitate the country from an imminent war and economic devastation and be a real ‘Pragmatist’.

Time alone can say!

An English translation of the Editorial in Sudar Oli, a Tamil National daily, based in Colombo

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