P Nadesan, the chief of the LTTE's police, has been appointed head of the political wing also, following the killing of SP.Tamilselvan in an air raid early on Friday.
A communiqué from the militant group's military spokesman, Rasaiah Marshall, said that Nadesan would head both the police and the political wings.
Nadesan, who raised the LTTE's police force to maintain law and order in the areas controlled by the LTTE in North and East Sri Lanka, was earlier in the Sri Lankan police. Having served in Sinhala-speakling areas, he is fluent in Sinhala besides Tamil.
He has been involved in political negotiations with the Sri Lankan government as a member of the LTTE's delegation at peace talks. He was also part of the LTTE team which met foreign visitors and diplomats. Nadesan enjoys the trust of the LTTE Supremo, Velupillai Prabhakaran.