Lankan Govt refuses LTTE participation in interim council

"The President wishes to categorically state that there is no truth whatsoever in these news reports and that no decision has ever been made to include the LTTE, which is a terrorist organisation,” the communique said.

"The government’s stance on the LTTE remains the same, that the LTTE could participate in an interim council only on entering the democratic political mainstream and giving up their terror campaign,” it clarified.

But moderate Tamil parties have taken strong exception to the exclusion of the LTTE, saying that "no purpose will be served without the participation of the outfit".

Opposition leader Ranil Wickeremasinghe when contacted said he would not like to comment on this issue at this stage. "I can only tell that the government and the opposition are discussing on various options and talks are making progress,” he said.

Government sources, however, remained silent on whether the draft proposal would be referred to the LTTE before presenting it to the Parliament. A senior minister of the government had earlier said that the devolution proposal, after finalisation, would be sent to the LTTE, which the President had called as the murderous organisation.

Knowing the LTTE, it would be futile to show the peace proposal to the LTTE and the whole process of presenting it to the Parliament would further be delayed, government sources said.