October 07, 2008	Tuesday	Shawwal 7, 1429

COLOMBO, Oct 6: Former Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) military leader Col Karuna Amman will be nominated to the Sri Lankan parliament on Tuesday, the first former top LTTE commander to become a member of parliament (MP)

He had broken away from LTTE in 2004 and founded his organisation the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Puligal (TMVP).

Though TMVP has no representation in the Sri Lankan parliament, Karuna will represent the ruling United Peoples’ Freedom Alliance (UPFA) as a nominee under the party’s ‘National List’. His party is a part of the multi-party UPFA.

“My task as an MP will be to develop the war-ravaged Tamil areas of Sri Lanka. Because of the war, the Tamil areas (in the East and North of Sri Lanka) have not seen any economic development, for 20 years,” Karuna told the media on Monday.

“By appointing me to this position, President Mahinda Rajapakse has given respect to the entire Tamil community. I believe in him,” Karuna added.

By giving Karuna a national position, President Rajapakse has balanced the two main forces in the TMVP, one led by Chief Minister of the Eastern Province Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan and the other led by Karuna. Karuna was in the dog house for a few months when he was incarcerated in the UK for travelling on a forged diplomatic passport.

Karuna’s appointment comes at a time when the mainstream LTTE is under tremendous military pressure in North Sri Lanka and is about to lose its administrative and political capital of Kilinochchi to the Sri Lankan forces.