10 theSun | TUESDAY FEBRUARY 24 2009
news without borders
Israel’s Netanyahu fails to
convince on unity govt
JERUSALEM: Benjamin
Netanyahu has so far failed to
path. We didn’t make progress
on any essential subjects,” Livni
Sri Lanka rejects Tamil
Tigers’ call for truce
persuade top rivals to join his said.
cabinet, increasing the chances She said the main difference
of a right-wing Israeli coalition centred on on the principle of
likely to brake the sputtering a two-state solution to the Is-
Middle East peace talks. raeli-Palestinian conflict, which
Outgoing foreign minister Livni supports.
Tzipi Livni shot down Netanya- “On the essential subject for
hu’s entreaties for her centrist arriving at a (coalition) agree- COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s Tamil pean Union, Japan and one-time the traditional Sinhala and Tamil
Kadima party to enter his gov- ment – that there should be Tigers appealed yesterday for in- peace broker Norway had to New Year.
ernment, although she left the two states for two peoples and Residents ternational action to halt a major pressure the Sri Lankan govern- The fighting has stoked
door ajar, agreeing to meet him a final accord with the Palestin- offensive against their shrinking ment into accepting a ceasefire concern for tens of thousands of
for more talks. ians – there is no agreement,”
flee threat fiefdom, but the island’s military “so the miseries of the Tamils ... civilians trapped in the conflict
“We didn’t reach any agree- said Livni, who has been leading of Aussie rejected any talk of a truce. are brought to an end”. zone, and the government has
ment,” Livni told reporters Israel’s negotiations with the bushfires With rebel forces cornered in “We also wish to inform the accused the rebels of using lo-
after a meeting on Sunday Palestinians. the northeast of the island by a international community that we cal Tamil civilians has human
with Netanyahu, leader of the Bibi, as Netanyahu is known,
pg 12 massive attack by government are ready to discuss, cooperate, shields.
right-wing Likud party who is put a more positive spin on the forces, the Liberation Tigers of and work together in all their ef- The LTTE statement, howev-
now trying to woo the veteran encounter, saying “we found Tamil Eelam (LTTE) urged forts to bring an immediate cease- er, charged that dozens of people
Labour party. many common points that re- foreign powers to step in and fire and work towards a political were being killed and wounded
“There is an essential diver- quire further meetings. We are arrange an immediate truce. settlement,” LTTE’s political chief daily in the relentless bombard-
gence and we have to clarify trying to find a common path”. The LTTE said the United B. Nadesan said in a statement. ment of rebel territory and re-
if there is a possible common – AFP Nations, United States, the Euro- But the Sri Lankan military jected calls for it to disarm.
said it would accept nothing “The world should take note
short of complete surrender and that calls for the LTTE to lay
disarmament. down its arms and surrender
“Our position is that they must is not helpful for resolving the
lay down arms and surrender,” conflict,” said the statement.
said military spokesman Briga- “The protection of the Tamil
dier Udaya Nanayakkara. “There people is dependent on the arms
is no shift in our position.” of the LTTE,” the Tigers said.
The government withdrew “When a permanent political
from a Norwegian-brokered truce solution is reached for the Tamil
at the start of last year, after ac- people with the support and the
cusing the Tigers of using a peace guarantee of the international
process only to re-arm and con- community, the situation will
solidate their de facto mini-state arise where there will be no need
in the north of the island. for the arms of the LTTE.”
Subsequent fighting has seen The rebels also appealed for
the LTTE lose control over international recognition of their
nearly all of the north, including cause.
their one-time political capital of “The international commu-
Kilinochchi and main military nity... must re-examine our point
base of Mullaittivu. that an independent state is the
The Tigers, who are fighting only permanent solution to the
for an independent ethnic Tamil Tamil-Sinhala conflict.”
homeland on the Sinhalese-ma- But the government mean-
jority island, are now hemmed while reported it was on track for
into a narrow strip of coastal victory, with the defence minis-
jungle area near Mullaittivu. try saying its troops had encircled
The government has vowed the village of Puthukkudiriruppu
to completely defeat the Tigers by where the Tigers launched sui-
April, when the country marks cide air attacks on Friday. – AFP
Libya extends meetings
on oil distribution plan
TRIPOLI: Libyans were given meetings of Libya’s Basic Peo-
an extra day to consider a plan by ple’s Congresses (LBPC).
their leader Muammar Gaddafi Debates focused on scenarios
(pix) to disband government drafted by government experts
ministries and hand the country’s on the means of distributing oil
oil money directly to its 5 million money. The scenarios divide
people. the population into five rungs of
Five-day gatherings had been income and wealth.
due to finish on Sunday but were About one million Libyans
allowed to continue yesterday, ranked on the bottom rung might
state media said. be entitled to get up 30,000 dinars
“The authorities have permit- (RM84,833) each per year.
ted the people to pursue the de- Around half a million people
bate as some congresses needed on the top rung might get only
one more day to complete dis- 1,288 dinars (RM3,645) each.
cussions on the oil wealth issue,” The LBPCs are the backbone
said an official statement read on of Libya’s Jamahiriya regime.
state radio. They are effectively the top
Gaddafi argues corruption executive and legislative bodies,
is so deeply entrenched in the representing people at district
government that the only way to and village levels, and vote on
cure Libya of graft is to disband laws and government policy.
the ministries and hand out In practice, however, Gaddafi
more than US$30 billion (RM110 decides on key policies, particu-
billion) in annual larly oil.
oil revenue The General People’s Con-
directly to the gress, the umbrella body, is due
people. to collect the LBPC decisions
Libyans at the end of the debates and
h a v e announce whether a major-
gathered ity backs Gaddafi’s proposal,
in public a foregone conclusion as
places in his supporters dominate
villages all levels of power.
a n d Gaddafi’s scheme
cities has been opposed
for by senior officials
who stand to
lose their jobs if
government is
purged. – Reuters
