Colombo: A pro-LTTE parliamentarian has
underlined his party's resolve for an "autonomous rule" for
Tamils in Sri Lanka, claiming that TNA's support for
opposition presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka was extended
only after getting him to agree to those conditions.
K Thurairetnasingam, a senior leader of the pro-LTTE
Tamil National Alliance, said his party had "no confidence" in
the devolution of powers in the North based on the 13th
amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution.
He said his party will not deviate from its demand for
an autonomous rule for Tamils in Sri Lanka.
"We do not want the 13th Amendment. We have no
confidence in the 13th Amendment," Thurairetnasingam said,
adding the party wanted an autonomous regime with all powers.
He said TNA was extending its support to the
opposition Presidential candidate Fonseka for the January 26
polls only after getting him to agree those conditions,
according to the state-run Daily News.
President Mahinda Rajapakse and former army general,
who have been at loggerheads over who should claim credit for
the military victory over Tamil Tiger rebels last May, are in
a straight fight.
Rajapakse has called the January 26 poll two years
early to take advantage of his popularity following the defeat
earlier this year of Tamil Tiger rebels that ended a
decades-old ethnic conflict.
Thurairetnasingam told the state-owned Vasanthan FM, a
Tamil Radio channel, that Fonseka had agreed to comply with
all their conditions and the party signed an agreement with
him covering these issues.
Thurairetnasingam claimed Fonseka and opposition
leader Ranil Wickremesinghe had signed this agreement and
their copies were sent to foreign representatives too, the
state-run daily reported.
"We have already informed about this agreement to
diplomats and the foreign governments," he was quoted as
saying by the radio channel.
"The President did not comply with our conditions and
therefore this government should be overthrown," the TNA
leader said.
The Sri Lankan lawmaker said TNA had asked the
president to halt the military operations during the last
phase of the civil war, but he had refused to do so.
However, the government said the method pursued by it
to fulfil the aspirations of the Tamil people was vastly
different from that of the TNA led by R. Sampanthan.
Priyadharshana Yapa, the Mass Media and Information
Minister, said the TNA had tried to drive the Tamils onto the
separatist paths.
He said while the objective of President Rajapaksa was
to liberate the Tamils from the grip of LTTE, the TNA always
tried to drive them onto the separatist path with the
influence of the LTTE.
He said the government had stepped up efforts for the
resettlement of the displaced Tamil civilians, with the 'High
Security Zones' established in Jaffna being gradually removed.
PTI
First Published: Friday, January 08, 2010, 21:22