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Government - LTTE to raise funds jointly
The LTTE and the Sri Lankan government will jointly carry out an international campaign to raise funds for the redevelopment of the war-ravaged north and eastern provinces.

According to LTTE Chief negotiator Anton Balasingham, LTTE representatives will go with Sri Lankan government delegations to foreign countries to negotiate aid adding that the LTTE will be very much involved with the government in seeking massive foreign assistance required to rebuild the north and east.

There was no immediate confirmation from the government about the joint exercise, but both sides at the first round of talks in Thailand had agreed that the joint Task Force to be established between the two sides would have the responsibility of identifying, financing, and monitoring of urgent humanitarian and reconstruction activities in the north and east.

Mr. Balasingham at a news conference said the LTTE would also have control over the use of funds for reconstruction as well as for resettlement of internally displaced people and their rehabilitation.

The comments came as the government made preparations to form the Joint Task Force which would consist of senior representatives from both sides including military personnel.

The Sunday Times learns that members of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) would also be called in to assist the Task Force which is due to be appointed before the next round of talks to be held from October 31 to November 3. Minister and SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem, a member of the government delegation for the Thailand talks said the composition of the Task Force had been discussed and it would be appointed shortly.

The Task Force will have six members of which three will be from the LTTE and three from the government, one of them representing the Muslims. The Task Force is being seen as the first step towards the establishment of a provisional administration in the north and eastern provinces.

"It appears that the task force is being looked at as an embryo for a provisional administration. If the Task Force is going to be an embryo for a future provisional administration, then it is incumbent for all of us to see the composition of the Task Force and the mandate and ensure that the conduct of its affairs reflects the diversity that it needs to reflect. It's a challenge for us," Mr Hakeem said.

A joint committee will also be appointed to decide on the high security zones in the north and east and this committee would be dealing with the relocation of the security forces.

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) which backed the LTTE leading up to the first round of talks is so far not sure of its future role in the proposed provisional administration. But as regards the Task Force the TNA believes it should be entirely handled by the LTTE.

TNA MP Joseph Pararajasingham said that the task force has to give priority to rehabilitation and resettlement of displaced persons in the North and East. He said the TNA would extend its fullest support to the Task Force by providing details on the resettlement.

EPRLF leader Suresh Premachandra said the TNA would hold a discussion with the LTTE, once Dr. Balasingham visited the Wanni next month before the next round of talks.

" We will discuss the working of the Task Force. The most important matter is that the families have to be resettled. Even now there are areas in which the people cannot settle as they are high security zones," he said.

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