Tamil alliance call for LTTE deproscription

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 November 2001, 01:06 GMT]
The leaders of the Tamil parties in the newly formed alliance said Saturday that they would strive, both nationally and internationally, to achieve the aims and objectives embodied in their memorandum of understanding to find a durable political solution to the Tamil national question through talks with the Liberation Tigers.

"The war should be ended, the economic embargo in the northeast province lifted, all residential and travel restriction imposed on the Tamil nationality should be withdrawn, and the ban on the Liberation Tigers in Sri Lanka should be withdrawn enabling them to participate freely and fully on behalf of the Tamil nationality," said Mr.R.Sampanthan, Secretary General of the Tamil United Liberation Front and the chief candidate of the Tamil parties' alliance contesting the Trincomalee electoral district, addressing the inaugural election rally in Trincomalee town.

"The time has come for the Tamil people to make clear and cogent decisions. We cannot allow the Tamil national question be dragged on indefinitely and it needs to be addressed urgently as the most serious national question," said Mr.Sampanthan.

"Several foreign countries including United States of America, United Kingdom, India and European Union have already told the Sri Lankan government to find a political solution to the Tamil national question through talks with the Liberation Tigers. Even the President of Sri Lanka and the Leader of Opposition have been saying that talks would be held with the Liberation Tigers to find a political settlement to the Tamil problem. But we now demand the Sri Lankan Government that talks should be held only with the Liberation Tigers and no parallel negotiations should take place with any other Tamil political formation," Mr.Sampanthan added.

Mr.N.Sri Kantha, the leader of the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO) and a candidate of the Tamil parties alliance contesting the Trincomalee district said, "the Tamil parties' alliance would continue as a third strong force in the country after the December general election. The unity now achieved would be preserved at any cost. The Tamil parties' alliance would launch a people's struggle along with the freedom struggle of the Liberation Tigers until the legitimate aspirations of Tamils are met".

Mr.Suresh Premachchandran, the leader of the Eelam Peoples Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF), who is a candidate of the Tamil partiesí alliance contesting the Jaffna district, said that "the alliance would win all the nine parliamentary seats in the peninsula at the forthcoming general election."

At the commencement of the meeting Mr.Sampanthan, Mr.Sri Kantha and the candidates of the alliance contesting the Trincomalee district were taken in a procession in a decorated vehicle from Arasady junction to Sivankovilady, the venue of the meeting, where they were joined by Mr.Suresh Premachchandran. A former Trincomalee Urban Councillor Mr.R.Somasuntharam presided.