COLOMBO, Sept. 28, ‘Reuter: India and powerful ‘Tamil Tigers militant group agreed on Monday to give the Tigers a majority vote on a key interim regional council in northern and eastern Sri Lanka, diplomats said. Diplomatic sources said the agreement removed a major stumbling block to full implementation of the peace accord and it would end the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) opposition to the accord. The accord was signed by Sri Lankan President Junius Jaye Wardens and Ladiani Primes Minister Rajiv Gandhi on July 29 aimed at ending the conflict between the majority Sinhalese and minority Tamils,

An official statement said only that “agreement has been reached (on certain specific matters raised’ by the LTTE on the implementation of the Indo Sri Lankan Accord”.

But diplomats said the Tigers, who had demanded a dominant role on the 12member council which would administer the semiautonomous northern and eastern area, agreed to accept seven seats.

Article extracted from this publication >>  October 2, 1987