
Tigers steadfast in the observance of Ceasefire and looking for a powerful government
The LTTE's theoretician and chief negotiator, Mr. Anton Balasingham, gave the assurance when he met Wednesday with a Norwegian delegation led by Oslo's Special Envoy to Sri Lanka, Mr. Erik Solheim.
Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, head of the LTTE's Political Wing, gave a similar pledge when he met Norway's ambassador to Sri Lanka, Mr. Hans Brattskar, in Kilinochchi, also on Wednesday.
Mr. Solheim, along with Mr. Erik Giercksky, a senior executive officer of Norway's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and another Norwegian official met Mr. Balasingham at his London residence. They discussed the constitutional crisis in Colombo and the possibility of resuming talks during their three-hour meeting.
Mr. Balasingham emphasized to the Norwegian diplomats that the LTTE was prepared to participate in negotiations when a stable government assumed power in Colombo.
"We are prepared to enter into negotiations with the government that has a mandate for peace from the Sinhala masses and also has the necessary legislative and executive authority to implement decisions," Mr. Balasingham said. "We do not want to interfere in the current constitutional crisis between the President and the Prime Minister. We are prepared to wait until the dispute is resolved by the Sinhala leadership," he said further.
"Until such time we will strictly observe the terms and conditions of the cease-fire agreement and will maintain peace," he added.
16 January 2004
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