Thamilselvan to head LTTE at peace talks?
The resumption of Government -LTTE peace talks that now hinges on the former presenting concrete proposals for an "interim administrative structure" to the latter, may see the emergence of new faces and a new format.

Tiger guerrilla sources say ailing Chief Negotiator Anton Balasingham may give way to Political Wing chief S.P. Thamilselvan, a confidant of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.

UNF Government's own negotiators acknowledge that Dr. Balasingham, an acute diabetic who has undergone a kidney transplant, had been phasing out his involvement in the negotiating process.

They point out that he declined in the past weeks to come to Wanni for consultations with guerrilla leaders. He had instead sought documented briefs delivered to London from Wanni to formulate official documents to the Government, Norwegian facilitators and statements to the media.

Mr. Thamilselvan is regarded by Government negotiators as a "hardliner with a serious approach" as against Mr. Balasingham, who is "more suave, accommodative and pragmatic." Despite what is being described as a "phased withdrawal" from the negotiating process, Mr Balasingham will continue to serve as a "resource person," a guerrilla source said.

A more active role on his behalf, as advisor, is to be played by another member of the guerrilla negotiating team, the New York based lawyer J. Maheswaran, said to be the brains behind the formulation of various policy frameworks for the LTTE.

According to LTTE sources, the venue for the next round of peace talks is likely to be Switzerland. A request to this effect is to be made to the Norwegian facilitators. That is if the LTTE approves the new proposals the UNF Government will submit in the coming weeks.

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