TNA pressing Govt. over ISGA

July 11 (IL) As the Colombo city was rocked by the news of a suicide bomb blast on Wednesday, the LTTE-backed Tamil National Allaiance was making preparations to meet foreign diplomats to urge them to pressurise the Government and the Opposition to seriously consider establishing the Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) soon.

TNA General Secretary and MP Mavai Senathirajah told that from the very first day moves were made to restart the peace process, both the LTTE and the TNA along with the Tamil people have been asking for the implementation of the provisions of the ISGA.

Mr. Senathirajah's statement comes amidst reports that the LTTE is persuading TNA Parliamentarians to renew their request to the international community to pressurize the Government to immediately set up the ISGA for the North-East, informed sources told the Daily Mirror.

The Daily Mirror learns that the LTTE has also advised TNA MPs to vigorously campaign to get the Government to agree to list the ISGA as the number one item on the agenda when peace talks resume.

Mr. Senathirajah also said the President's office had still not approached them about any matters concerning the possibility of resuming peace talks, since their last meeting with her in mid-June, when President Kumaratunga according to the ITAK, agreed to resume peace talks based on the ISGA. However, she is alleged to have contradicted this very statement during her televised address to the nation just two days later when she announced that talks on core issues should run parallel with those on the interim structure when talks resume between the Government and the LTTE