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29-09-2006

No official offer from Tiger leader - Govt

Manjula Fernando and Rajmi Manatunga

COLOMBO: Commenting on the latest development on the peace front with reports of the LTTE communicating their leader's desire to resume negotiations, the Government yesterday said there will not be any response from their side until the offer is made official.

"There is no concrete statement, it was just a verbal offer and there will not be any response until it is official," Cabinet Spokesman and Media Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa said.

Addressing reporters at the weekly Cabinet Briefing the Minister admitted that the SLMM Chief communicated a proposition from the LTTE leader but it was far from official.

Attributing the delay in resuming peace talks to the LTTE's insincerity, the Minister added the LTTE was still manoeuvring a war strategy which saps the Government's confidence.

"It is vital to have a land supply route instead of a sea route," he responded to media queries stressing that the Tigers should leave their double standards and make a genuine effort to find a peaceful settlement.

"This is also the call of the international community," he said. The Government was always open for negotiations but they must receive a genuine commitment from the Tiger leader.

"There is no obstruction from the Government side," he reiterated.

Referring to the renewed demand by the JHU in Parliament recently to boycott Norwegian facilitation, the Cabinet spokesman said they have not given thought to changing the peace facilitation and they were still maintaining their original stance with regard to the Norwegian role in the Peace Process.

Source-Daily News