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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Poll pledge for Sri Lanka Tamils | Poll pledge for Sri Lanka Tamils |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Sri Lanka's reconciliation minister says elections will be held in areas affected by recent fighting once displaced people have been resettled. | Sri Lanka's reconciliation minister says elections will be held in areas affected by recent fighting once displaced people have been resettled. |
| Vinayagamoorthi Muralitharan, a former rebel commander who was known as Col Karuna, said the polls would address the grievances of the Tamil minority. | Vinayagamoorthi Muralitharan, a former rebel commander who was known as Col Karuna, said the polls would address the grievances of the Tamil minority. |
| More than 250,000 people have been displaced by months of fighting in the north and east of the island. | More than 250,000 people have been displaced by months of fighting in the north and east of the island. |
| Meanwhile two Indian envoys have arrived to discuss the Tamil situation. | Meanwhile two Indian envoys have arrived to discuss the Tamil situation. |
| 'Very good' | 'Very good' |
| Speaking to the BBC, Mr Muralitharan, who defected from the Tamil Tigers in 2004, said he hoped the Tamil people would be involved in the future political process. | Speaking to the BBC, Mr Muralitharan, who defected from the Tamil Tigers in 2004, said he hoped the Tamil people would be involved in the future political process. |
| "Our government tried to solve this problem through the political system. After resettlement in the north we are going to do the election." | "Our government tried to solve this problem through the political system. After resettlement in the north we are going to do the election." |
| There are no enemies to continue the guerrilla warfare or any warfare here Vinayagamoorthi Muralitharan | |
| The minister of national integration and reconciliation said he wanted Tamils to have a greater role in parliament. | The minister of national integration and reconciliation said he wanted Tamils to have a greater role in parliament. |
| "If we sit on the opposition side we will never get any benefits for the minority community," he said. | "If we sit on the opposition side we will never get any benefits for the minority community," he said. |
| The BBC's Charles Haviland in Colombo says the president and defence secretary have also spoken of elections but have not given a consistent timescale. | |
| FROM BBC WORLD SERVICE More from BBC World Service | |
| Our correspondent says much of the north-eastern area is now depopulated and with the problems of minefields and other land development issues, a huge rehabilitation process will be needed before elections can take place. | |
| Last year, Mr Muralitharan's party won a landslide victory in local elections in and around Batticaloa, south of the recent conflict zone, the first polls to be held there in 10 years. | Last year, Mr Muralitharan's party won a landslide victory in local elections in and around Batticaloa, south of the recent conflict zone, the first polls to be held there in 10 years. |
| When Mahinda Rajapaksa won the presidency in 2005, there were virtually no votes cast in the Tamil areas in the north-east - turnout in Jaffna was put at 0.014%. | When Mahinda Rajapaksa won the presidency in 2005, there were virtually no votes cast in the Tamil areas in the north-east - turnout in Jaffna was put at 0.014%. |
| The Tamil Tigers denied disrupting elections but officials complained of heavy intimidation. | The Tamil Tigers denied disrupting elections but officials complained of heavy intimidation. |
| Envoys arrive | Envoys arrive |
| Mr Muralitharan said he believed the Tamil Tiger rebel movement was finished because all of the senior figures had been killed. | Mr Muralitharan said he believed the Tamil Tiger rebel movement was finished because all of the senior figures had been killed. |
| "This war is over, I think. This 30-year-war is over here because the LTTE [Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam] is dependent on one person, that was [Velupillai] Prabhakaran. | "This war is over, I think. This 30-year-war is over here because the LTTE [Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam] is dependent on one person, that was [Velupillai] Prabhakaran. |
| "The LTTE [was] controlled by him. He never built a secondary role, never a secondary leader, he never built it. He concentrated all the leaders with him. Now all the leaders have died with him," he said. | "The LTTE [was] controlled by him. He never built a secondary role, never a secondary leader, he never built it. He concentrated all the leaders with him. Now all the leaders have died with him," he said. |
| The authorities believe they have wiped out the rebel leadership | The authorities believe they have wiped out the rebel leadership |
| "That is very good for the government because there are no enemies to continue the guerrilla warfare or any warfare here," Mr Muralitharan said. | "That is very good for the government because there are no enemies to continue the guerrilla warfare or any warfare here," Mr Muralitharan said. |
| Separately, India's National Security Adviser MK Narayanan and Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon have arrived for talks on the Tamils' future. | Separately, India's National Security Adviser MK Narayanan and Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon have arrived for talks on the Tamils' future. |
| They are meeting President Rajapaksa and are expected to discuss possible devolution of powers to the Tamils in the north-east. | They are meeting President Rajapaksa and are expected to discuss possible devolution of powers to the Tamils in the north-east. |
| On Tuesday, the president declared the country "liberated" from Tamil Tiger rebels after the last pocket of territory held by them was taken. | On Tuesday, the president declared the country "liberated" from Tamil Tiger rebels after the last pocket of territory held by them was taken. |
| The government released pictures of the body of the man believed to be the rebel leader. | The government released pictures of the body of the man believed to be the rebel leader. |
| Authorities said Mr Muralitharan had positively identified Prabhakaran's body. | Authorities said Mr Muralitharan had positively identified Prabhakaran's body. |
| The Tigers had been fighting for a separate state for Tamils in the north and east of Sri Lanka since the 1970s. | The Tigers had been fighting for a separate state for Tamils in the north and east of Sri Lanka since the 1970s. |
| About 80,000 people have been killed in the conflict and thousands displaced. | About 80,000 people have been killed in the conflict and thousands displaced. |