"LTTE-TNA decide to work united"-Sampanthan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 April 2002, 18:47 GMT]
"The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) have accepted the need to work unitedly,"said Mr.R.Sampanthan, leader of the TNA parliamentary group Saturday evening in a statement on his return to Colombo from Vanni. Mr.Sampanthan told Tamilnet that the three and a half hour meeting with the LTTE leader was a historic event.

The statement issued by Mr.Sampanthan follows-

"The LTTE leader Mr.V.Pirapaharan met with the representatives of the Tamil National Alliance on Friday around 5 p.m. at Killinochchi.associated with Mr.Pirapaharan at the discussion were Messrs Anton Balasingham, (Political Advisor), S.P.Thamilchelvan (Political Head), Pottu Amman (Intelligence head), Karuna9 Amparai-Batticaloa military commander), Pathuman (Trincomalee area commander), Karikalan (Political Head of the Amparai-Batticaloa district) and Ruban (Trincomalee political head).

"TNA delegation comprised parliamentarians Mr.Sampanthan, V.Anandasangaree, Joseph Pararajasingham, Mavai Senathirajah, Appathurai Vinayagamoorthy, Raja Kuhaneswaran, K.Thangavadivel, G.Krishnapillai, Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, N.Raviraj, Sivasakthi Anandan, A Chandra Nehru, M.K.Sivajilingam and the Secretary General of the EPRLF Mr. Suresh Premachandran.



"The cease-fire agreement entered into, the implementation of the said ceasefire agreement, the proposed interim administration and the political solution that could be eventually evolved came up for intensive discussion.

"The leader of the LTTE Mr.Pirapaharan and Political Advisor Mr.Anton Balasingham explained the position of the LTTE.

"The need of the LTTE and the TNA to work united was accepted by all participants.

"The need to take along the Muslim in the pursue of a peaceful political solution was accepted by all participants.

"The exchange of views took place in a cordial atmosphere. In conclusion the LTTE leader Mr.Pirapaharan hosted all participants to dinner."

TNA leader and the National List parliamentarian Mr.M.Sivasithambaram did not go to Killinochchi due to ill health.