A Sri Lankan policeman checks the identity papers of voters at the entrance to a polling station in Vavuniya. Photo AFPIn Sri Lankan Polls, Tamils Affirm Desire For Self-Rule -- Christian Science Monitor
In the first election in 11 years Saturday, a pro-rebel party won the most local-council seats in Vavuniya and came in second in Jaffna.
New Delhi - A pro-rebel political party won a key council in Sri Lanka's elections this weekend – an indication, should it be needed, that Tamils are still eager for self rule.
The polls, held Saturday, were the first in the island's north in 11 years. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), who had fought for an independent homeland for the island's Tamil minority since 1983, ran most of northern Sri Lanka as a de facto state until May, when the government recaptured it and ended the war.
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More News On Sri Lanka
Pro-rebel party wins one Sri Lanka council -- AFP
Tamil Tiger allies win seats in polls -- Financial Times
Low Turnout, Mixed Results in Sri Lankan Vote -- Wall Street Journal
Sri Lanka's first post-war polls show mixed results -- BBC
Mixed results in Sri Lanka polls -- BBC
My Comment: This is not a positive sign for those who were hoping that the LTTE were gone for good. If anything, it indicates that the desire for self rule is still very strong in the Tamil areas of Sri Lanka, and that while they may have been defeated on the battlefield, their spirit and determination for independence is still there.
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