Sunday, November 20 2005 19:06 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Colombo: Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers would respond to the offer of talks by the newly elected President only after the martyrs' day speech of their leader on November 27, even as a pro-rebel newspaper today said any negations with the new administration would be meaningless as the polls have shown 'majoritarian Sinhala chauvinism shining through.'

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said they will announce their position on President Mahinda Rajapakse's election and his call for negotiations after November 27, the 'Heroes' Day' of the rebels.

LTTE spokesman Daya Master told reporters that they will wait till the Heroes Day speech of Tiger Supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran before making any statement.

However, the LTTE's website www.ltteps.org reproduced today's (Nov 20, 2005) editorial in the Tamil 'Uthayan' newspaper, which said the Sinhalese majority had all but voted for war by failing to elect ex-premier Ranil Wickremesinghe, who initiated the current peace process.

"Through electing a head who refused to accept that a just and permanent solution to one of the peoples of this island is an absolute necessity, the Sinhala nation has exposed its innermost feelings," the Uthayan said, adding,

"Majoritarian chauvinism has come shining through," he said.

During his campaign, Rajapakse had called for an overhaul of the Norway-backed talks with LTTE, while Wickremesinghe wanted to continue the process. Talks broke off in April 2003, but a fragile ceasefire has remained in place.

Rajapakse's main backer, the Marxist JVP, or People's Liberation Front, also wants to completely change the peace process, including the removal of international truce monitor.

Former air force chief Harry Gunatillake said he feared the guerrillas were getting ready to return to hostilities.

He said the Tigers by not taking part in Thursday's election and by forcing civilians to stay away had demonstrated that they were not interested in the vote and had nothing to do with the Sri Lankan state.

The 'Uthayan' editorial appealed to the world community, which has backed the peace process with the promise of billions of dollars in reconstruction funds to 'correctly judge this mentality of the Sinhala nation'.

The LTTE website reproduced another editorial in a Tamil paper also saying more or less the same but was careful not to say anything on their own.

The Eelanatham newspaper justified the boycott by the Tamils of the election.

"One cannot interpret the Tamil boycott of the elections as an action against peace or as an indication for return to war. The boycott must be interpreted as an opportunity given by the Tamils to the Sinhala leadership to come to a decision about the Tamil ethnic issue.

"It is therefore the Sinhala leadership that must decide whether it is going to be peace or war. Tamils have given the opportunity for that choice to the Sinhala leadership," the Eelanatham said.