EU de-listing of LTTE: Oppn blames Rajapaksa for not appealing

Sri Lanka's main opposition today accused the Mahinda Rajapaksa government of not doing enough regarding the de-listing of the Tamil Tigers as a terrorist organisation by the European Union.
Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said the Sri Lankan government did nothing to urge the EU to re-list the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam a terrorist outfit.
"I want to ask President Rajapaksa why his government had not legally represented matters to the European Union on the LTTE being named as a terrorist organisation," Wickremesinghe told reporters.
The United National Party leader said the EU court ruling had only pointed to the procedural errors in banning the outfit. "They have not said LTTE is not a terrorist organisation."

The opposition leader called on the government to appeal to the EU court to reinstate the proscription on the LTTE.
Last month, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that the LTTE would no longer be kept on the Council's designated terrorist list.

The court annulled specific restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities by the EU with its view of combating terrorism.
The said annulment would be maintained temporarily for a period of three months where a reassessment would be made. Sri Lankan government could appeal against the decision within two months.
Wickremesinghe has also written to the EU High Representative Federica Mogherini urging them to file an appeal against the EU court order.

He said the letter was sent after he found that the Sri Lankan government was not taking any firm action on the EU court order.
The Rajapaksa government, however, has told the parliament that all possible legal avenues would be explored to reverse the EU court decision and reinstate the proscription.
The EU had declared the LTTE a terrorist outfit in 2006, following the earlier proscriptions of the US and Canada. The ban criminalised any activity that could be connected to the LTTE.
President Rajapaksa, who seeks a third term, has accused opposition leaders of having talks with the pro-LTTE diaspora in Europe.

The LTTE was engaged in an "armed conflict" with Sri Lankan government forces for nearly-three decade, but were defeated in 2009 following the death of its chief Velupillai Prabhakaran.