KP’s arrest and Saturday’s elections

Last week the attention of the Tamil people was focussed on KP’s arrest and Saturday’s elections. They watched with interest KP’s attempt to transform the LTTE into a political group, and looked for pointers from Jaffna and Vavuniya elections that would lead the Tamil people’s return to the democratic process they followed before the emergence of Pirapaharan.
KP a prize catch
For Sri Lankan intelligence men KP is definitely a prize catch. His arrest was a thrilling achievement for them. The Tamil worry is about the possible impact of his arrest on the reconciliation process which they feel is an urgent need.
As Viswanathan Rudrakumaran, the US based lawyer and Coordinator of the Committee for the Formation of a Provisional Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam said in a press release on Saturday, KP (Selvarasa Pathmanathan) was, “actively engaged in a process of political transformation of the LTTE, and was leading the Tamils’ struggle for self determination on to a new path- a struggle through politico- diplomatic means.”
The statement added, “We also wish to point out that he was supporting the process of building up a democratic process for the Tamil freedom struggle by endorsing the formation of Provisional Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam as a, ‘bottom up’ democratic institution that will elect members through popular vote.”
KP’s effort was challenged by a section of the LTTE which want to carry on Pirapaharan’s armed struggle. That group went to the extent of challenging KP’s announcement about Pirapaharan’s death, calling him a traitor and a betrayer. The announcement made by that group that Pirapaharan is still alive and would surface on the Maweerar day on November 27 caused a lot of confusion in the minds of the Tamil people.
 The worry of the moderate Tamils like this columnist who want a permanent end to the armed struggle, is that the political process initiated by KP should be allowed to grow. The moderates are gladdened by the assurance given by Rudrakumaran that KP’s arrest would not be allowed to hinder the political transformation process.
The statement said, “The Tamil national project for the realisation of the right to self determination of the Tamil people however, does not depend on the skills and dedication of just one person, and will continue through the service of innumerable committed individuals until its successful accomplishment.”
Rudrakumaran is planning a visit to India to apprise the Indian and Tamil Nadu leaders of the project, and is scheduled to meet the pro- LTTE activists who are becoming active again. The leader of the pro-LTTE group Nedumaran told the media on Sunday that a proclamation about the Right to Life of Sri Lankan Tamils would be made in Chennai on August 20. He said that would be the beginning of a massive international campaign in support of the Sri Lankan Tamils.
Polls & Tamil leadership
Saturday’s elections should be viewed in the context of these developments. It showed two positive indications. First it demonstrated the willingness of the Tamil people to return to the democratic political process.
This columnist is not interested in the controversy about the total registered voters in the Jaffna Municipality and the Vavuniya Town Council areas. This column is also not interested in the percentage polled.  The facts that 22,280 persons voted in Jaffna and 12,850 persons voted in Vavuniya, is sufficient to discern the indications. The fact that so many persons voted, show the willingness of the Tamil people to return to the democratic path. It should also be noted that no boycott campaign was conducted.
And the poll according to the Election Commission was peaceful and fair. There were no allegations of massive fraud. Thus, it can be safely concluded that the Tamils are prepared to return to the democratic way of life. The people have thus told the government to prepare the ground for the return of democracy.
Now to the second indicator. Tamils have shown the government the Tamil leadership with which it should negotiate about a political settlement to the Tamil problem. Let us analyse the result to find out the pointer.
Tamil people have rejected the UNP in uncertain terms. In Jaffna the UNP got only 83 votes. It is not even four votes for each candidate. In Vaviniya where Sinhalese and Muslims reside, the UNP collected only 228 votes.
The government cannot also talk to the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) headed by V. Anandasangree. In Jaffna it obtained 1007 votes and Anandasangree was elected with 424 votes. Then comes the PLOTE led by Siddarthan. In Vavuniya where it concentrated its activities for over three decades, it polled 4,136 votes and won three seats. In Jaffna it was not a factor. That leaves that also out, Then the government is left with the Tamil National Alliance which contested as the Federal Party and its own party the UPFA. Both contested in Jaffna and Vavuniya.
In Jaffna UPFA polled 10602 votes and won 13 of the 21 seats, and in Vavuniya it won 3045 votes and won two seats. It came third. TNA polled 8008 votes in Jaffna and won eight seats. In Vavuniya it polled 4279 votes and won five seats.
Now the question:  With whom do the Tamils want the government to negotiate a political settlement? Should it negotiate with its own political party or with the TNA?
The government can say that it can negotiate with the EPDP. But the EPDP contested as part of the UPFA. EPDP sources told me that it had lost votes and credibility by joining UPFA.
Tamil people have indicated that the government has no option but to talk to the TNA. President Mahinda Rajapaksa had indicated his willingness to talk to the TNA. And TNA had taken a decision to talk to the government and is in the process of drafting its proposals. Talking to the TNA will also counter LTTE’s and the moves in Tamil Nadu.