Colombo, Apr 25: Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels today said President Chandrika Kumaratunga will have to accept their self-rule proposal before they revive the stalled dialogue, even as peace broker Norway is expected to send a team early next month for talks with the two sides. Putting up tough conditions before Kumaratunga, who had taken a hard line on the militants, the LTTE said talks would be based on government accepting their Interim Self-Governing Authority (ISGA) proposal unveiled on October 31.
Tiger supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran told his 22 proxy legislators from the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) on Tuesday that they should use their unprecedented leverage in Parliament to pressure Kumaratunga to agree to peace talks.
“The LTTE leader, Prabhakaran, reiterated the ISGA proposals," Tiger spokesman Daya Master said today adding that Sri Lanka President should accept this as a basis for talks. Tigers also want to be recognised as the sole representative of Sri Lanka's minority Tamils and their right to self-determnation, both bitter pills for Kumaratunga to swallow after her hard-line stand before the April 2 vote.
Tamilnet also said a high-level team from Norway is expected to visit Sri Lanka early next month for talks with the government and the LTTE leadership. The team, which would include Foreign Minister Jan Petersen, his deputy Vidar Helgesen and special peace envoy Erik Solheim, would try to revive stalled talks.
Bureau Report