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PA joining LTTE in federal study: not JVP
By Harinda Vidanage
People's Alliance parliamentarians and UNF ministers are to join Tamil Tiger guerrillas on a European tour aimed at studying federal systems of foreign countries.

PA spokesman Sarath Amunugama and former ministerJohn Seneviratne are among 12 parliamentarians who would be joining two LTTE representatives on the tour, covering Austria, Belgium, Italy and Germany.

The tour has been organized by Austria's ruling Green Party and an Austrian-based NGO known as Peace Talk. Both Dr. Amunguama and Mr. Seneviratne confirmed their participation in the 10-day tour which begins next Wednesday. The JVP is the only parliamentary group which would not be represented on the tour.

Dr. Amunugama told The Sunday Times they were especially interested in Austria's federal system where people of different areas spoke different languages.

The aim of the tour would be to visit various states and provinces in European countries to ascertain the feasibility of using their experience in resolving Sri Lanka's ethnic conflict. The LTTE has not named its representatives for the tour.

The other members due to take part in the tour are Ven. Baddegama Samitha (PA), Ferial Ashraff, (NUA), Ministers Jayalath Jayawardena, Kabeer Hashim, P. Chandrasekaran, the CWC's Y.Yogarajan, the SLMC's. K. M Thoufeek and H.M.M. Harris and the TNA's Gajan Ponnambalam.

Dr. Jayawardena told The Sunday Times the tour was aimed at studying four different setups of federal systems. They will be talking to the people of the federal states as well as the legislators.

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