Erik Solheim

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Erik Solheim (born January 18, 1955 in Oslo, Norway) is a Norwegian politician and the current Norwegian Minister of International Development and an international peace maker involved in resolving the current civil war in Sri Lanka.

Contents 1 Biography 2 Norwegian politics 3 International peace maker 3.1 2002 Truce in Sri Lanka 3.2 Post 2006 activities 3.2.1 2006 Peace talks 3.2.2 Government reaction 4 Controversy 5 References

[edit] Biography

[edit] Norwegian politics

Solheim was the leader of Socialist Youth 1977-1980 and party secretary of the Socialist Left Party 1985-1987. In 1987 he became leader of the Socialist Left Party and rose quickly to become a very popular figure in Norwegian politics, but also controversial within his own party because he was considered to be too right-wing. After ten years he stepped down as leader of the party and was succeeded by Kristin Halvorsen in 1997. Solheim also served as member of parliament from 1989 to 2001. Through the 1990s Solheim became one of the most prominent figures in Norwegian politics, and lead his party through a period of rising popularity. In later years he has received criticism from some older party colleagues for moderating his views on the EU and becoming a supporter of Norway's membership in NATO.

[edit] International peace maker

[edit] 2002 Truce in Sri Lanka

Main articles: Sri Lankan civil war, LTTE, and Human Rights in Sri Lanka

From the spring of 2000 he was granted a leave of absence from parliament to serve as special advisor to the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Sri Lanka. He went on to become one of the most recognizable figures in the peace negotiations between the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tigers.

Solheim helped negotiate a truce in 2002.^[1] On October 17, 2005, he continued his engagement with international affairs when he was appointed Minister of International Development in the cabinet of Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg. In this position, he was able to continue his work on the Sri Lanka issue.

[edit] Post 2006 activities

Solheim met with the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister and U.S. Undersecretary of State, Nicholas Burns on January 23, 2006.

After meeting with the officials, Solheim told journalists in Colombo, "Everyone is worried with the present deteriorating security situation. It is hard to see the present situation continuing indefinitely. Sri Lanka is at a crossroads."

After meeting with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse, Undersecretary Burns expressed hope that "the LTTE understands that it will have no relations with my country, and for that matter any effective relations with any country in the world, on the barrel of the gun."^[1]

President Rajapakse and Solheim met the day after. Solheim then went north and met with Tamil Tiger rebel leader Velupillai Prabhakaran and rebel negotiator Anton Balasingham.^[1] Dumeetha Luthra of BBC News said Solheim's visit is seen as crucial to saving the truce.^[1]

[edit] 2006 Peace talks

Solheim announced on September 12, 2006, that the Government of Sri Lanka and the Tamil Tigers had agreed to hold "unconditional peace talks" in October in Oslo, Norway.^[2]

Solheim told BBC News officials that "Both parties have expressed willingness to come back to the table. We expect the violence will be stopped. The government has throughout its existence for 10 months repeatedly told us that they are ready for talks without any preconditions and the LTTE has today confirmed that they are ready for talks without any preconditions."

[edit] Government reaction

Keheliya Rambukwella, a spokesman for the Sri Lankan government, acknowledged that the government was ready for talks, "but we did not agree on Oslo for unconditional peace talks." Officials from the European Union, Japan, Norway and the United States, meeting in Brussels, Belgium to discuss the conflict, released a statement in support of the peace talks.^[3]

Government spokesman Rambukwella denied that the government agreed to unconditional negotiations, saying, "We will put forward our conditions." Rambukwella criticized the Norwegian government for announcing the talks without consulting the Sri Lankan government, "The government has not been consulted on any future discussions. Norway, or anybody, can't announce dates and venues. We will take it up very seriously. We are a sovereign state. They are only facilitators. We have not delegated any of our powers to them."^[4]

The Sri Lankan Government's chief negotiator, Nimal Siripala De Silva, filed an official complaint about Solheim's announcement to the press to Norwegian Ambassador Hans Brattskar when they met, along with Sri Lankan Foreign Secretary S. Palihakkara and Norwegian Embassy spokesman Eric Nurnberg, at the Norwegian Foreign Ministry. Minister De Silva said he hoped to discuss the "future role of the international community in the Sri Lankan Peace Process and the future course of action on the peace front" at this meeting.^[5] He also expressed a desire for a "sincere commitment to the process from the LTTE leader Prabakaran" to reporters.^[6]

[edit] Controversy

In a interview with the Sri Lankan Daily news, Colonel Karuna the former LTTE's longest serving regional commander stated that Solheim's house in Norway was bought with money donated by the LTTE, Solheim gifted a 6 ft TV screen to Prabhakaran despite the former Deptuy Minister Vida Helgessen's objections and additionally that Solheim gave 16 million kroners (2.5 million dollars) to Anton Balasingham immediately after the signing of Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) in Oslo [1] [2][3].

Solheim has denied the aforementioned allegations made and complianed that a state owned newspaper in Sri Lanka was spreading lies about him. [4] [5].

[edit] References