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Govt. awaits LTTE response on P-TOMS
The Government is awaiting the LTTE’s response on the Post Tsunami Operational Management Structure (P-TOMS) in the wake of Friday’s Supreme Court ruling suspending key provisions of the agreement.

The Government’s Apex Committee nominee, Minister D.E.W. Gunasekara, told The Sunday Times: “We will have to see whether the LTTE is willing to go ahead with certain provisions of the agreement.”

He said the government was prepared to continue implementing P-TOMS agreement provisions which were unaffected by Friday’s Supreme Court ruling, but added “it will depend on LTTE’s response.” Minister Gunasekara said among the areas they could go ahead with were the establishment of the “District Committees” which have not been restrained by the court ruling.

He declined to elaborate on measures to seek LTTE’s approval for government plans to continue implementation of the rest of the agreement. But, a high-level Norwegian delegation led by Foreign Minister Jan Peterson and his Deputy Vidar Helgsen are due in Colombo next week. Issues regarding the P-TOMS agreement are to figure during these talks.

Separately the LTTE has summoned Tamil National Alliance Parliamentarians for a meeting with Political wing leader S.P. Thamilselvan. The TNA members are to raise the issue about the status of the implementation of the P-TOMS.
“The P-TOMS will be the main issue to be taken up at the discussions as it concerns the distribution of relief for tsunami victims,” TNA Parliamentarian Mavai Senathiraja told The Sunday Times.

There was no immediate reaction from the LTTE office about the ruling.
An official statement on Friday said the government was studying matters raised by the Supreme Court and that it will be making further representations at the main hearing.

Mr. S. L. Gunasekara, who appeared for some of the petitioners said that according to the ruling, the Project Management Unit would also now have to be brought under the government.

Soldier killed
A soldier was killed when LTTE pistol gang members opened fire at him at Vandharumullai in Batticaloa yesterday evening, police said.
The soldier, Sunil Kumara, succumbed to his injuries at the Valachchenai hospital.

He was deployed at a road block when the killers arrived on a bicycle and shot him at close range.

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