Colombo, Feb 29: Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga, who formed an electoral alliance with the radical Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), is reportedly sending positive 'peace signals' privately to the Tamil Tiger rebel leadership signalling her willingness to open a peace dialogue with the LTTE in the event of her alliance being elected to office. President Kumaratunga has been sending positive signals through her private sources to the LTTE leadership that if her United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) was elected to office, she would genuinely resume peace talks with the LTTE in order to meet the just aspirations of the Tamil people, reported a Colombo-based Tamil language newspaper.
President Kumaratunga, launching her party's election campaign in the ancient city of Anuradhapura, hailed the LTTE leadership of acting with 'responsibility' despite attempts by the UNF ministers to provoke the rebels into violence. She said that the LTTE has shown discipline in maintaining the ceasefire during the past four months than during the UNF period.
According to the media report, it is not immediately known whether the LTTE leadership has responded to any of these signals.
The LTTE leadership, however, has stated openly that the organisation was firmly committed to resume peace negotiations with the southern political party, which receives during the forthcoming election a mandate from the Sinhala masses for a peaceful negotiated political settlement.
For these reasons, the media report said that the LTTE, which is openly supporting the four-party Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in the forthcoming April 2 polls, would not make any public statement in supportive either of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's UNF or President Kumaratunga's UPFA.
The LTTE leadership is also reportedly watching the way the forces under the President's influence are conducting in the run up to the polls, to decide whether or not to resume talks with the President- led coalition. Bureau Report