EPDP sees motive in LLRC report

The Hindu: The only political party that has come in for serious adverse notice in the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) report, the Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP), wonders if there was any ulterior motive in retaining the comments against it in the final report.

“We regret to note about the comments made as regards the EPDP in the report. Whilst we deny the allegations about the EPDP, we wish to emphasise that while the leader of the EPDP was giving evidence before the commission, he had brought to the notice of the commission about the incorrect translation, which resulted in misunderstanding of what he stated. In addition, releasing this misconception to the media prior to tabling of this report in Parliament makes us to believe whether it is done with any ulterior motive,” said EPDP in a statement.

In a section devoted to “illegal armed groups,” the Commission narrates specific instances involving a few groups and also included the response of some of the groups. “The Commission is constrained to observe the attitude manifested by the leadership of the TMVP and EPDP in their explanations provide little or no consolation to the aggrieved parties, and tends to militate against any meaningful reconciliation process,” the Commission noted and wanted the Government to put an end to the illegal groups.

What makes the issue much more strange is the fact that the EPDP is part of the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA). EPDP Chief Douglas Devananda, the man who once was part of the nascent Tamil Tigers outfit, is the lone Tamil of Cabinet rank in the UPFA.

The adverse comments against the EPDP did not stand in the way of it welcoming a majority of the recommendations. It wanted the setting up of the Parliamentary Select Committee without further delay and with time frame work for the conclusion of its recommendations to reach a final and durable solution. “Once the select committee is in progress, our party will initiate action to have discussions with the constituent parties of the select committee with a view to promote consensus to reach early agreement.”

The EPDP also wanted all Tamil political parties to stand united. “In this regard we would also initiate action to revive the ‘Tamil Party Forum’ to reach common understanding among Tamil parties in this regard,” it said.

But the EPDP call is unlikely to evoke any positive response from the main Tamil parties that assemble under the banner of the Tamil National Alliance. The TNA distrusts EPDP and the EPDP did everything it could to try and win over the Tamil people in the Northern Province ahead of the recent local body polls. But the people refused to be swayed.