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Interim council
a move to achieve separate state: EPDP
By Shelani Perera
EPDP Leader Douglas Devananda has said there is no need for the
setting up of an interim administration at this stage of the peace
process.
In an interview
with The Sunday Times, Mr. Devananda said the LTTE was demanding
the interim administration to achieve its objective of a separate
state. Excerpts:
Q: The LTTE
is demanding the setting up of an interim administration apparently
to perpetuate a one-party system. What is the position of your party
with regard to the interim council?
A: We insist on democracy and pluralism. We know the past and
the present of the LTTE and we can foresee what it will do in the
future. There is a saying that a tiger will never eat grass even
if it is starving. There is another saying that the tiger will not
change its stripes. We also feel the same way. The TNA calls themselves
Tamil National Alliance but we call them Tamil National Agents.
With Tamil parties acting as LTTE agents, we cannot restore democracy
in the area. Even when the ceasefire agreement was signed, opinion
of other Tamil parties was not respected, though we have on many
occasions met the Prime Minister and the international community
involved in the peace process. We will warn them of dangers ahead.
Q: Will the
EPDP insist on being part of the interim administration ?
A:
We don't believe there is a need for an interim administration at
this stage. It is we who first asked for the setting up of an interim
administration while the war was on. We wanted it to help the people
in their day to day life and give them political leadership. This
was necessary at that stage . But at this moment, it is meaningless.
The LTTE is asking for an interim administration for two reasons
- first, they want to buy time and secondly to gain legitimacy to
achieve their goals for a separate state.
Q: Under
the ceasefire agreement, the EPDP and other Tamil groups have been
disarmed. Has this affected your cadres or your party?
A: Yes. Our supporters are affected. People are being threatened
not to go to EPDP offices. The LTTE is extorting money from our
supporters. Our supporters and their families are being warned to
sever all links with the party. We have complained to the monitoring
mission which has promised to take action.
The difference
between the EPDP and the LTTE is that we ask for a solution within
the country the LTTE is for a separate state.
Q: Is the
EPDP satisfied with the monitoring mission ?
A: We have to wait and see. We have made complaints, hoping
it will take action. We will continue to bring to its notice the
harassment meted out to our supporters.
Q : What
is the party's stand on upcoming talks in Thailand?
A: Talks to be held in Thailand cannot be called peace talks.
It is not for a permanent solution to the ethnic problem. According
to the LTTE, it is going there only to discuss the interim administration.
What is necessary at this stage is that there must be moves for
a definite and permanent solution and there is no need for other
talks.
Q : Will
the EPDP play a role in peace talks ?
A: All the parties which are involved in this problem should
play a role in the peace process.
Q: What is
the party's view on the MoU?
A: When the IPKF withdrew, Tamil parties that opted for mainstream
politics also went away with them, creating a big vacuum. The LTTE
wants to create such a scenario again. It wants all Tamil parties
with alternate ideas to leave the northeast. It demanded that the
Tamil parties be disarmed and their supporters incorporated in the
armed forces to serve in the south of the country. Arms were given
to us by consecutive governments for our self defence in the process
of restoring democratic right in the Northeast. Without achieving
the objective of establishing democracy, the Government wants us
to hand over the arms . Though the demand is unreasonable we have
to show the world that we would not in anyway be an obstacle to
the peace process.
Q: The EPDP
backed the previous People's Alliance regime. How is your party's
relationship with the PA?
A: We have to deal with whoever is in power. Our political philosophy
is peaceful coexistence within a united Sri Lanka. Today, we see
a cohabitation government by two parties. Therefore we have to work
with both these parties. It is because of this policy that we will
oppose any move to impeach the President or any no-confidence motion
against the Wickremesinghe administration.
Q: Unlike
your party, several other Tamil parties have accepted the LTTE.
Your comments?
A: The problem is that the formation of the TNA was mainly to
obstruct our activities. After I took up the ministerial portfolio,
the EPDP became popular among the people and we got a lot of support.
These parties banded together to defeat the EPDP.
Q: Is the
EPDP hoping to meet Indian leaders to brief them on the present
situation ?
A: We hope to visit India. We have constantly been in touch
with Indian leaders.
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