ABSTRACT
In the North, the Tigers still held on to the Wanni and much of the Jaffna Peninsula with the Security Forces unable to dominate the region. The rise of the Sea Tigers was making the naval lifeline to the North increasingly dangerous. The electorate voted out the United National Party (UNP) government after 17 years, electing a government of the People's Alliance (PA). The stalemate in the North and the continuing losses in the military had led to a war weariness which had resulted in the emergence of a strong peace lobby and a growing conviction among many people in the South that the war was unwinnable and that a negotiated settlement was necessary. The ceasefire and peace process came as a much-needed respite for both parties. The evacuation of the bulk of the Jaffna population was a significant political and military victory for the Tigers.
