He also says that the Tigers do not live in a fantasy world hoping to resolve the conflict by rational dialogue with the Sinhalese political leadership and that the racist political system, disregarding human rights and liberties, offers no alternative to the Tamils other than to fight, secede and establish Eelam or independent Tamil state. The new confidence of the Tigers is apparent when Mr Prabhakaran refers to the military success in the Vanni in early November as a ‘turning point in this long historical journey towards emancipation’.
Mr Prabhakaran’s statement and LTTE ideologue Anton Balasingham’s speech in London on 27 November promote war and peace offers appear to be cosmetic. Observers believe that the Jaffna peninsula will be the prime target of the Tigers in the New Year.
Mr Prabhakaran describes President Chandrika’s rule, as the ‘worst form of tyranny ever suffered by the the Tamils’ and says that ‘she does not have the honesty and determination to resolve the Tamil national conflict in a fair and reasonable manner’. The Tigers say they rejected at least three recent offers by President Chandrika for secret talks.
The personal attack on President Chandrika has left peace activists worried. If she wins the presidential election in December, the possibilities are that she will be able to guide the People’s Alliance to victory in the general elections next year. Analysts say that in the circumstances, peace efforts are unlikely to succeed in the next six years.
But, winning the presidential election on 21 December is the immediate concern of President Chandrika and her main opponent Ranil Wickremasinghe of the United National Party (UNP). Eleven other candidates, including Nandana Gunatilleke of the People’s Liberation Front (JVP), filed nomination papers on 16 November. The two main candidates accused each other of secret links with the LTTE, but promised peace talks with the Tigers on being elected to presidency.
President Chandrika’s campaign was boosted when five UNP MPs pledged their support to her on 5 November. Five days later, two of them - Sarath Amunugama and Nanda Mathew - were rewarded with ministerial posts in the PA government. President Chandrika also appointed Hill Country’s Arumugam Thondaman as Minister of Livestock Development - a post held by his grandfather S Thondaman at the time of his death on 30 October - to gain the Hill Country Tamil votes.