Sri Lanka’s top Tamil Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran today said his plan for an interim self-governing authority in the country’s embattled north and east was not a stepping stone for a separate state.Commenting on the rebel blueprint for a political plan to end ethnic bloodshed in the island, Prabhakaran said some of the features of self-governance had been ‘‘misinterpreted as a project for a separate state’’.‘‘It is true that our proposals for an interim administrative council calls for substantial self-governing authority without which programmes for the resettlement and rehabilitation of thousands of displaced people and other major projects could not be undertaken,’’ Prabhakaran said.In his ‘‘Heroes Week’’ address, he said the proposal unveiled on October 31 through the Norwegian peace brokers was not a final settlement, but only an interim proposal.The LTTE leader condemned the power struggle between President Chandrika Kumaratunga and PM Ranil Wickremesinghe, saying it had jeopardised the Oslo-sponsored peace bid. He also blamed the premier for relying on foreign governments, notably the US, EU and Japan, for an ‘‘international safety net’’ in the event of the LTTE resuming their separatist struggle.‘‘Some countries have stipulated parameters within which the Tamil national question has to be resolved,’’ he said adding that ‘‘it is because of these international interventions that the peace negotiations became more complex. He said the LTTE was ready to resume peace talks they suspended in April, but the political power struggle in Colombo was an impediment.Meanwhile, a spokesman for PM Wickremesinghe said today that his differences with President Kumaratunga are being ironed out so that the peace talks could be revived.
