By Shamindra Ferdinando
The TULF led four-party Tamil National Alliance [TNA] on Wednesday urged India to influence the newly elected government of premier Ranil Wickremesinghe to resume negotiations with the LTTE, TULF senior Vice President and MP V. Anandasangaree said yesterday.

The alliance comprises the TULF, TELO, ACTC and the EPRLF [Suresh Premachandran faction].

Responding to questions, the Jaffna district MP, said that he along with General Secretary R. Sampanthan met with Indian High Commissioner Gopalkrishna Gandhi. "We discussed our manifesto, the premier’s proposed visit to New Delhi, peace process and other related matters," he said adding that they expressed their desire to see India playing a leading role in resolving the north-east crisis.

Talks came hours after the LTTE overran Valaichenai police station in the Batticaloa district and mounted a major assault on an army detachment at Pahala Thoppur in the neighbouring Trincomalee district killing 11 security forces and police personnel. At least 15 terrorists too were killed in the fighting.

The alliance has designated the LTTE ‘only party to represent Tamils’ in future peace talks.

"No, we did not discuss the stalled Norwegian peace initiative," he said. He was optimistic that India would be able to revive the stalled peace process. India has expressed support for the Norwegian peace bid.

The premier early this week told party seniors that he would be visiting New Delhi before end of this month to discuss a gamut of issues including ways and means of resuscitating the peace process. Foreign Minister Tyronne Fernando is likely to accompany the premier.

The alliance that secured 15 seats in the 225-member parliament has endorsed LTTE Leader Velupillai Prabhakaran’s stance that unless the government de-proscribes the group and accepts it as the lawful representatives of the Tamil community, they will not participate in the Norwegian facilitated peace negotiations.

"We fully support the LTTE leader’s posture," TULF MP Joseph Pararajasingham told ‘The Island’ about a week before the elections adding that they would support any party that accepts their just conditions: lift ban on the LTTE, declare a cease-fire, lift ‘economic’ embargo and resurrect the stalled Norwegian peace initiative.

Their demands were identical to the pre-requisites announced by the LTTE for resumption of fresh peace negotiations.

PA sources said that de-proscription should be considered only after the two sides sit down for talks.

JVP sources said that they support talks between the new government and various Tamil groups including the LTTE if the LTTE drops their demand for a separate state, halt all military-related activity and agrees to de-commission their weapons.

The previous government declined to lift the ban while indicating readiness to meet other demands.

Pararajasingham was on record as saying that there is no point in they talking with the government. "From now on it will be the LTTE," he said adding that even the countries that have proscribed the LTTE openly admit that the government has no option but to talk with the group. "Only the LTTE must be spoken to," he said.