POLITICS-SRI LANKA: Political Solution In Sight Following Oslo Peace Talks

By Johan Mikaelsson

OSLO, Dec 5 (IPS) - Sri Lanka on Thursday took a major step forward in the search for a solution to ending the 19-year separatist conflict when the tropical Indian Ocean government, and the Tamil Tiger rebels, agreed to work out regional autonomy within a federal system.

The warring parties met in the Norwegian Capital of Oslo for their third round of formal peace talks. By the end of the talks on Thursday they had agreed to adopt a federal model with limited self-rule for Tamil areas. Four previous attempts to politically end the island's drawn out Tamil separatist conflict which has claimed over 60,000 lives since 1983 ended in failure.

The Sri Lankan peace process was boosted at the first round of formal talks in September when the Tamil Tigers dropped their demand for total independence and said they would accept regional autonomy and self-government. Sri Lanka is a "unitary state" under the 1978 constitution. Attempts to turn the country into a federal state in all but name in August 2000 failed over differences between the main parties in the country as well as with the Tamil Tigers.

Erik Solheim, special adviser to the Norwegian foreign ministry, was very optimistic after a week of discussions. "This a historical moment for Sri Lanka, as was the signing of the cease-fire agreement. It is a good feeling to see the parties that used to be in war, sit at the same table, negotiating. And they have a lot of respect for the other side," Solheim told IPS.

Anton Balasingham, chief negotiator of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
(LTTE) said the agreement would be tremendous boost to the peace process. Professor G.L. Peiris, chief negotiator for the Sri Lanka Government, said the federal model would be within a united Sri Lanka. He said the parties would ensure extensive power sharing within the framework of one country and would evaluate different federal models, such as the one in Canada, for the future Sri Lanka. "There is not going to be a war. I am certain of that," Peiris said, adding however that a final settlement was still far off.

Reclusive rebel leader Velupillai Prabhakaran last week paved the way for talks on core political issues in Oslo when he said Tamil aspirations could be met by self-rule and regional autonomy rather than a separate state.

"Mr. Prabhakaran gave a clear signal for regional autonomy for the Tamils.
It is exactly that which has come out of the talks here," Balasingham told IPS in an interview.

The two sides have already studied different types of political systems, which could function as a model for Sri Lanka. Canada and Switzerland are among the countries, which will help Sri Lanka find a suitable constitution.

Part of the LTTE negotiating team, chief negotiator Anton Balasingham, as well as political wing leader S.P. Thamilchelvan and military commander for the eastern region Karuna will travel to Switzerland on Sunday. They were invited by the Foreign Ministry there to study the Swiss political system and meet some politicians, scholars and experts.

"We must find a solution that is suitable for Sri Lanka as a whole. Therefore we seek advise from experts. The present constitution is totally unacceptable to us. The Tamil community does not approve it. The federal model is actually what the Tamils originally wanted 50 years ago already," Balasingham said.

"The breakthrough here in Oslo is the clear identification of the federal structure, which will be the basis for a political solution," Professor Peiris said.

He said during the talks, which ended Thursday, the two groups also discussed consolidation of the cease-fire, humanitarian and rehabilitation plans.

Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesen said the parties had decided to explore a political solution founded on internal self-determination based on a federal structure within a united Sri Lanka. He said the next two rounds of talks in Thailand in January and February would aim to map out details of a system of power sharing between the centre and the region and also the power sharing within the centre.

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), who allege discrimination by the Sinhalese majority, also agreed not to expand their regional courts and police forces beyond areas dominated by the LTTE.

Sri Lanka on Thursday also marked the first anniversary of the election of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, whose rule has given the island its best chance of securing peace. (ENDS/IPS/IP/EU/MM/JM/SM/02)