Rajapaksa denies any role for Prabhakaran in new dispensation

Colombo, Oct 10 (PTI) Declaring that a political
solution would follow a military defeat of terrorism, Sri
Lankan President Friday ruled out any role for L.T.T.E.
Supremo V. Prabhakaran in any new dispensation in the island
nation.

The President said his government was not aiming for a
military solution to the ethnic crisis but wanted to defeat
terrorism comprehensively.

In significant comments, as his troops are poised to
overrun one of the last tiger strongholds of Kilinochchi,
Rajapaksa when asked whether L.T.T.E. leader had any place in
the new dispensation after the battle with tigers was over,
he made it clear there is no place for terrorists in the
country.

"There is no place for terrorists. Either they (the
L.T.T.E. militants) will have to surrender or give up fighting
and this is the right time for them to do so," Rajapaksa told
the Al-Jazeera television.

On whether he has anything to offer the L.T.T.E.,
Rajapaksa said Sri Lanka could not offer anything to
"terrorists."

"What can we offer to a terrorist who wants a separate
state. We have for the last so many years tried to persuade
them for a political solution," he said.

He added that he had no personal grudges against
Prabhakaran.

"No it is not personal. I mean I do not have any
personal grudges against people, not even with Prabhakaran.
Why do I have," Rajapaksa said in the interview.

Meanwhile, an official release said that the L.T.T.E.
cadres were willing to surrender to the security forces and
that many have done so.

Rajapaksa went on to say that successive governments in
Sri Lanka had tried to persuade the L.T.T.E. to negotiate a
political solution but failed, under these circumstances the
government could not offer anything else, especially to a
terrorist group.

The President also said that within a short span of time
the government will be able to change the mind of people in
east province as it is familiar with their aspirations and
culture, he said.

Rajapaksa insisted that a political solution would be an
answer to the grievances of Tamil people not "terrorism.