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TNA withdraws from EP poll at Prabhakaran's instance

21.3.2008

COLOMBO: LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran has ordered Tiger proxy TNA not to contest the upcoming Provincial Council elections in the Eastern Province. He issued this order when TNA Parliamentarians were attending the funeral of slain colleague Sivanesan.

According to reports from the Wanni, LTTE political wing leader Nadesan had reiterated to the TNA MPs the LTTE unwavering commitment to a Tamil homeland in the North and East and that their objective will be achieved in the near future.

He had also ordered the TNA MPs to agitate diplomatic missions in Colombo and complain that the Government was violating human rights and also to speak against the ongoing conflict.

The fact that elections are to be held in a demerged East and its implication on the Tamil homeland concept encompassing the Eastern Province had also weighed heavily in the LTTE's decision to order the TNA out of the poll.

Another reason is the realisation that the TNA had lost its vote base in the East. According to Wanni sources Prabhakaran is also fearing that any electoral debacle while removing from the Tamil psyche the homeland concept would also reinforce the claim of most democratic political parties that the present overblown Parliamentary strength of the TNA was a result of the blatant vote grabbing exercise carried out by the LTTE with the help of the UNP.

Therefore standing for such an election would be a threat to his (Prabhakaran's) existence on many fronts.

It is also being revealed that the LTTE leader had been harbouring the idea having the election called off through Government intervention by pretending to re-enter peace talks.

Be that as it may, the TNA has decided not to contest the election fearing the fate of Sivanesan visiting rest of their members.

Meanwhile, reports circulating in the Wanni say that Sivanesan's killing was ordered by Prabhakaran himself on the advice of his second tier command.

Earlier Sivam who was the LTTE official photographer and close aid of Prabhakaran also suffered a similar fate. This was based on suspicion that he had let out the secret of the LTTE leader's leg being amputated.

It was reported that once the news of Prabhakaran's disability came to be known there was a marked demoralisation among the LTTE's rank and file while it also saw the people of Wanni getting more and more emboldened to stand up against the outfit. It was also reported that if the situation gets out of hand it will be difficult to retain fighting cadres in the fold.

Considering the gravity of the situation and acting on the advice of the second trie leadership, Prabhakaran took steps to be appear in person at an event to shore up the morale of his cadres.

However the problem lay in the fact that hitherto LTTE leader had shown himself up only on special occassions.

Therefore he had been advised if he appeared in person at a normal event this would be considered as a stage managed ruse. Hence he was advised by LTTE sympathisers abroad including lawyers that he make himself present at a funeral of a leading members of the outfit so as to make his appearance normal and deflect suspicion.

According to inside sources Sivanesan was the sacrifice to facilitate this process which was worked out by Nadesan and Pottu Amman.

Courtesy The Daily News