Amidst continuing violence the government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE are set to meet in Geneva on 28-29 October 2006 after nearly eight months. Both sides announced their respective delegations and laid out their focus, if not clear-cut agenda, for the talks. The government delegation comprises four ministers, two presidential counsels, the presidential, defence and foreign secretaries, the peace secretariat chief, Central Bank governor, and an ex-IGP. The LTTE delegation has included its political head, S. P. Tamilselvan, its police chief, peace secretariat chief, military spokesman and deputy head of the women’s political wing. It is a cause for concern that none from either side has good experience in negotiations.

With its present military advantage on ground, the government has set a seven-point agenda for talks. The government wants to focus on “core issues” that include “democracy, multi-party system, pluralism, human rights, child recruitment, development of the northeast, and devolution.” Not to make it as a one-off event, the government delegation intends to propose a series of dates for future discussions. The idea is “to ensure that talks are held within a specific time frame and core issues are tackled during that period.” President Mahinda Rajapakse’s hand has now been bolstered by a MoU signed between the two main political parties — Sri Lanka Freedom Party and United National Party. The agreement, at least for the time being, has warded-off LTTE’s time old criticism of “lack of southern consensus on the ethnic issue”. The recent Supreme Court judgement invalidating temporary merger of northern and eastern provinces continues to be an irritant.

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