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Bala sidelined in power struggle?
By Chris Kamalendran

LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran has sidelined his chief peace negotiator Anton Balasingham - temporarily - and taken over the negotiating process himself, The Sunday Times learns.

Norway awaits response
Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesen yesterday submitted alternative proposals of the Sri Lankan government to the LTTE to end a deadlock over the Tamil guerrillas attending next month's donor conference and continuing with the peace talks.

The proposals were submitted by Mr. Helgesen during two hours of talks with LTTE political wing leader, S.P.Thamilselvan at the political office of the guerrillas in Kilinochchi.

The Norwegian delegation wanted to remain in Kilinochchi for two days until the LTTE submits its response, but was told by Mr. Thamilselvan that the proposals need to be submitted to their leader Velupillai Prabhakaran for study, before a response is given.
Accordingly, the Norwegian delegation including Oslo's Ambassador Hans Brattskar, returned to Colombo last afternoon and is due to re-visit Kilinochchi on Tuesday seeking the LTTE response.

Mr. Helgesen was due to brief Constitutional Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris who is also government's chief negotiator and Minister Milinda Moragoda.

In what appears to be a hardening of the guerrilla organisation's stand on the ongoing peace process, the sidelining of Mr. Balasingham and the emergence of Mr. Prabhakaran and the political wing leader S.P. Thamilselvan into the forefront have caused further concerns about the future of the peace process.

The Sunday Times learns that Mr. Prabhakaran has given clear directives to Mr. Thamilselvan to co-ordinate the peace process, including discussions with foreign mediators through him.

Yesterday Mr. Thamilselvan met Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesen in Kilinochchi as Oslo continued its efforts to convince the LTTE to take part in both the upcoming Tokyo aid conference as well as in the now stalled peace talks with the government.

Mr. Thamilselvan had told Mr. Helgesen that he would need to refer the issues raised with Mr. Prabhakaran. On Thursday, Mr. Thamilselvan contradicted earlier comments made by Mr. Balasingham who had reportedly wanted a postponement of the Tokyo meeting. "We do not want a postponement as long as the funds due to the Tamil community do not reach us," he told journalists.

Mr. Balasingham's sudden exit from Sri Lanka citing post-kidney transplant complications, and the long silence from him since his departure last Monday have been attributed to his being sidelined from the negotiations for the moment.

When Japan's special envoy Yasushi Akashi met Mr. Prabhakaran, Mr. Balasingham was reduced to the role of a translator for the LTTE leader with Mr. Akashi taking his own translator. At the near three-hour discussions, Mr. Balasingham had hardly been allowed to elaborate on his leader's hardline position.

Mr. Balasingham left the country before Norwegian Foreign Minister Jan Petersen arrived for talks with Mr. Prabhakaran. At those talks Mr. Thamilselvan had been present with all the LTTE military-wing leaders Mr. Pathuman, Mr. Karuna, LTTE legal advisor Mr. V Rudrakumaran and economic advisor Dr. Jay Maheswaran.
Political analysts in Colombo, however, reacted cautiously to the developments within the guerrilla organization.

They said the apparent power-struggle between Mr. Balasingham and Mr. Thamilselvan, which climaxed after the former denied some remarks made by the latter in a press interview and followed it up by praising one of the government's negotiators could still be a ploy by the LTTE to play hard-to-get in their bargaining strategies.

Mr. Petersen who failed to get an assurance from the LTTE about its participation in the Tokyo conference left the country on Friday allowing Mr. Helgesen to continue the discussions. Mr. Helgesen on Friday held discussions at the Prime Minister's office regarding the concerns raised by the LTTE.

He was due to carry the government responses to the LTTE last morning. Initially he was due to leave on Friday, but due to a delay in concluding the discussions in Colombo, the visit to Kilinochchi was postponed for yesterday.

The LTTE has taken up the position that it wants a proper legal structure enabling funds to flow in for rehabilitation and reconstruction work in the north. The LTTE pointed out that the Sub Committee to provide for the immediate humanitarian and rehabilitation needs (SIHRN) had failed to serve its purposes while the North East Reconstruction Fund has not been put into operation.

It claimed that 70 million US dollars provided during the Oslo aid meeting had not been put into use for rehabilitation and reconstruction work in the north. On Tuesday, the LTTE discussed the issue with the TNA parliamentarians who were summoned to the LTTE office in Kilinochchi.

"We weakened the government economically and brought to the negotiating table and now we do not want to strengthen the government by getting aid for them," Mr. Thamilselvan told the TNA members. The TNA is to meet Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe within the next few days to put forward the LTTE demands following their meeting with the LTTE early this week.

TULF parliamentarian Joseph Pararajasingham told The Sunday Times that an appointment with the PM had been sought. "We will put forward the LTTE demands which the government has to address. The LTTE raised concern over the structural and administration of finance in SIHRN, High security Zone. These will be discussed with the PM," he said

Meanwhile, international pressure was building on the LTTE by Friday calling them to take part in the Tokyo conference. Denmark and Japan made a fresh appeal to the LTTE to take part in the conference.

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