Refuting media reports to the effect that the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) constituents are parting ways ahead of filing nominations for the upcoming local government elections, its leader R. Sampanthan told the Sunday Observer that they will resolve prevailing issues amicably and move forward.
“These issues not unusual in a political alliance, especially during the filing of nominations, and that we will sort it out amicably,” TNA and Opposition leader R. Sampanthan said.
According to the said reports, constituents of the TNA, such as the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchu (ITAK), PLOTE and TELO were said to be facing issues relating to allotment of slots for the local government elections.
PLOTE leader D. Sitharthan MP and TELO leader Selavm Adaickalanathan MP also confirmed that they had a difference of opinion with the ITAK on allotment of slots but they never decided to part ways as reported.
They were confident that these issues can be sorted out by discussion in the best interests of the Tamil-speaking community of the North and the East.
When asked about the rejection of in the
Ampara district, District Secretary and District Returning Officer Thusitha P. Wanigasinghe said the TNA nomination papers to Alayadivembu and Sammanthurai Pradeshiya Sabhas (PS) were rejected because the nominations were submitted by someone other than the authorised agent.
The TNA had filed nominations to all local government bodies in Jaffna, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and the Ampara districts.
After filing nominations to PSs in the Trincomalee district last Wednesday, Sampanthan told the media that achieving the rights of the Tamil-speaking people for self-determination within a united Sri Lanka was the ultimate objective of the party and this can be achieved through the new constitution that is in the making.
In a united Sri Lanka, people of different cultures, identities and historical regions of domicile should be given the right to determine their own cultural, economic and educational matters and this would become possible under the new constitution, he was quoted as saying.