TULF wants local polls postponed

A key Tamil political party in Sri Lanka has called for the postponement of local elections to be held in March saying that it could affect proposed peace talks between the Tamil rebels and the government.

The demand has been made by the Tamil United National Front (TULF), the main constituent party of the Tamil National Alliance which has shown signs of acting as a front of the Tamil rebels.

The TULF also demanded that the government lift the ban imposed on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Sri Lanka before peace talks begin.

The TULF said that holding of local elections in March could hamper the proposed peace talks which are to be held in due course.

"At the last general election the Tamil people have overwhelmingly endorsed the lifting of the ban on the LTTE in Sri Lanka prior to the commencement of peace talks.

The TULF also urged the gover-nment to postpone the holding of the local poll in northeast as the conduct of the election in the current situation could have the effect of retarding negotiations between the government and the LTTE", TULF general secretary R. Sampanthan said in a statement.

The Central Committee of the TULF met on Sunday in Colombo with its President and nationalist Parliamentarian M. Sivasithambaram to discuss the issue. The TULF passed three resolutions during the meeting related to the elections and peace negotiations.

The party welcomed the government's response to the ceasefire declared by LTTE and the other steps being taken by the government to relax the embargo on food, medicine and other essentials, to the uncleared areas, but called on the government to lift other restrictions and minimise harassment to Tamil civilians while they travel between the north to the south of the country.

"Fuel required for both domestic and occupational purposes, particularly farming, and fishing, and cement urgently required for reconstruction of houses, places of worship, educational institutions, and other civil institutions devastated by war, should be amply available, if normality is to be restored in the living conditions of the Tamil civilian population in the North-East," the TULF said in the statement.

"Places of worship, educational institutions, other buildings and common places meant for use by the Tamil civilian population, currently occupied by security personnel, should be vacated and handed over to the relevant civilian authorities for full and free use by the civilians population in such areas" it said.

It is "imperative that the ban imposed on the LTTE in Sri Lanka should be lifted prior to the commencement of negotiations", the TULF said.