COLOMBO: With the tattered six year old ceasefire between the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tiger rebels officially ending on Wednesday, the Mahinda Rajapakse led UPFA regime is facing a hailstorm of international criticism for formally abrogating the peace agreement signed in February 2002. However government officials assert that keeping in line with a recent pledge by President Rajapakse, the All Party Representative Committee is to present a political package on Jan 23 aimed at placating the Tamil minority community.

But analysts point out that the plan to finalise a political solution will, once again, run into difficulty when faced with obtaining a consensus.

So far, the LTTE bashing Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) who is fully backing a total military solution to the twenty five year old ethnic conflict with the Tamil Tiger rebels have completely opposed any move to present a political solution which may lure the LTTE from the battle front to the negotiating table.

According to reports, on Wednesday the JVP had demanded that the All Party Representative Committee be dissolved and the idea of discussing power devolution proposals permanently banished.

As analysts point out, the government which fully stands for a military solution and which regards the peace lobbying international community as a thorn in its side, would actually welcome the JVP’s hindrance.

“This government cannot afford to lose international aid which it needs quite badly. But it also wants to continue with its military agenda against the LTTE which proves to be a difficult task because it is not what the donor community wants,” one political strategist opined.

“In such a background Sinhala nationalistic elements opposing a political solution becomes handy because the government could claim that it is progressing with discussions and modalities for power devolution which when presented for a consensus would be blocked by the JVP,” he elaborated.

Both the JVP and the Buddhist monk represented party, the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) back the scrapping of the ceasefire and the return to war.

As observers point out President Mahinda Rajapakse and his government having survived the crucial budget vote in Parliament last December, thanks mainly to the JVP who abstaining from the vote, would not wish to go against the Marxists if they refuse to support the new devolution package being drafted. However despite the looming obvious, sources linked with the All Party Representative Committee say they would produce a set of proposals and highlight the topics where disagreements still persist.

According to the committee officials the disagreements are over the nature of the State, unit of devolution, powers to be devolved to the provinces and electoral reforms.

Meanwhile President Rajapakse addressing local television on Monday stated that a 1987 constitutional amendment, derived out of the peace accord with India that envisaged devolving power through the provincial council system would be the ideal basis for a political solution.

The government’s assurances of proceeding with a power devolving alternative comes amidst a defensive stance taken to ward off the international community’s concerns regarding Sri Lanka’s return to war.

During discussions with special Japanese peace envoy to Sri Lanka Yasushi Akashi on Monday, Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama had reportedly warned against any international action that could “jeopardise the government’s initiatives in the peace process.”

The foreign minister had claimed that any international pressure on the government would only ‘strengthen the LTTE.’

Meanwhile visiting peace envoy Akashi speaking to the media hinted that Japan, the biggest donor to Sri Lanka would withhold aid if violence keeps escalating without any solid steps to resume peace negotiations.

“We will continue to observe closely the political, military and human rights situation in Sri Lanka,” the peace envoy said explaining that Japan’s aid program was based on complex factors like political, economic and humanitarian needsMeanwhile the Co-Chairs to the now dead peace process (Norway, Japan, US and EU) issuing a statement have urged the government to provide access to their representatives and facilitators to Tiger rebel controlled northern Killinochchi.