[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 July 2012, 22:15 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) should demonstrate to the world the
Tamil rejection of the Provincial Council model of the 13th Amendment
by not participating in the Eastern Provincial Council (EPC) elections,
but the TNA could field a front of independent candidates to meet the
political challenge of the times. The candidate list already prepared
could go as an independent list with a specific political message on the
cause to the people, said Gajendrakumar Ponnampalam of the Tamil
National Peoples Front (TNPF), presiding over a press conference in
Jaffna on Saturday. The TNPF promised support to the TNA in any such
move. In the meantime, former TNA parliamentarian and TELO leader M.K
Sivajilingam urged the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress and the TNA to field
candidates jointly. It is time for the East to have a Muslim chief
minister, who is also elected by Tamils, he told TamilNet.
MK Sivajilingam
“There is no use of allowing the
Sri Lankan government to decide the chief minister for the second time,”
Sivajilingam said particularly urging the Muslim grassroots and their
political leaders in the SLMC to forge a strategic alliance with the TNA
in providing an opportunity for both the communities to sort out their
internal issues and healing the wounds of the past.
Meanwhile,
there are reports on contentions between the ITAK and the other parties
within the TNA on the allocation of number of seats. TULF leader V.
Anandasangaree held a meeting with the other parties in Colombo.
Former
TNA parliamentarian Sri Kantha said the conflict prevailing within the
alliance parties on allocation of seats has to be handled with care by
Tamil grassroots to avoid splits.
Suresh Premachandran of the
EPRLF and the spokesperson of the TNA told TamilNet that the non-ITAK
parties were prepared to resolve the matter of seats amicably within the
TNA.
In the meantime, the Sri Lankan government is making use
of the elements working with the Sri Lankan military intelligence, such
as the son of the late Sam Thambimuthu, informed sources said. Sam
Thambimuthu was assassinated in 1990, allegedly by the LTTE.
Some
former members of the EPRLF and PLOTE have also been brought down from
exile by the SL government to compete as independent candidates against
the parties that are already part of the TNA, creating confusion among
the parties in the TNA.
In Ampaa'rai, Iniyaparathy, a notorious
paramilitary operative with legal crime record under SL court system
itself in recent times, but serves as SL president's district advisor,
has been selected as a candidate by the Rajapaksa government, the
sources in the East said.
The SL government dissolved the
Eastern Provincial Council and announced elections two years in advance
in the East. But, in the North, the electoral process has been delayed
for three years and is expected in 2013.
There is a reason why
Colombo that counts on its parallel manipulations of Muslim and Tamil
collaborators wants to rush with the PC elections in the East early, and
Colombo’s ultimate aim has to be thwarted, said grassroots civil
activists and university students in the East, who have been negotiating
among the political parties of the TNA to find an amicable equation.
Mr
Sampanthan is aware of the trend, but lacks necessary statesmanship to
arrive at an equation on the larger interests of the Tamil-speaking
peoples in the East, said university students representatives in the
East.
* * *
Following are the views expressed by the TNPF representatives at the press meet in Jaffna on Saturday:
Gajendrakumar Ponnampalam
“TNPF understands that nominations
for elections to Eastern Provincial Councils will be soon called for,
and that the TNA is intending to participate in these elections. We were
part of ACTC before the formation of the TNPF. Many of our members who
supported the TNA withdrew support when TNA was reluctant to reject the
13thAmendment to the Sri Lanka constitution.
“We rejected TNA’s approach, which deviated from pre-May 2009 position on the 13th Amendment by compromising on fundamentals.
“From
February 2010 we formed the TNPF, and for the last two years we have
been trying to reinforce core principles of the Tamil cause by pointing
out missteps by the TNA.
“The TNA appears to have dropped the core principles on Self-determination and Tamil nationhood.
“The
Provincial Council elections will be a litmus test to verify the stand
of the TNA on these core matters. If TNA still upholds the principles of
right to self-determination and Tamil sovereignty, then clearly the
TNA cannot willingly participate in the provincial elections that are
based on the 13th Amendment.
“In the last Eastern Provincial elections, the TNA took a principled stand. It rejected participation in the elections.
“If
the TNA has reversed its position and participates in the forthcoming
elections, that would be confirming our accusations on the TNA
relinquishing Tamils aspirations on right to self-determination and
Tamil sovereignty.
“Even in this last moment we would want to make this open appeal.
“We
again appeal openly that by participating in the provincial elections
do not barter off Tamils fundamental rights, and the sacrifices made and
losses sustained by thousands of Tamil freedom fighters during the
last 60 years which have brought sharp focus of the international
community on the Tamil struggle.
“Even while on the one side we
would not like to see the ignominious fallout from TNA leaders
participating in the provincial elections, on the other hand, we have
not yet witnessed any open pronouncements or actions from the TNA
leaders rejecting the Provincial elections.
“TNA argues that its
participation in the elections is purely to prevent other pro-Government
parties from obtaining seats in the Provincial Councils.
“If
this is the true motivation for TNA’s position, we then say to TNA,
please participate in the elections as independent candidates, and not
under the TNA which was elected by Tamils to uphold their core
fundamental mandate on sovereignty by the Tamil people.
“We
reiterate that we will join with you and help you to be successful in
this effort. We can draw on the many intellectuals, and those who are
held in high esteem by our people to stand in the elections as
independents, and thwart pro-Government elements from winning the
elections.
“We should put forward the already prepared
candidate list as the Independent List, and declare that TNA
categorically rejects the provincial elections and explain to the Tamil
people the reasons for using the Independent list.
“Further, Sri
Lanka’s international propaganda has created an illusion that 13th
Amendment can be used as a starting point to reach an acceptable
political solution to Tamils.
“The current political climate in
Sri Lanka also appears to support this concept. Sri Lanka Government
wants to demonstrate to the international community that Tamils accept
the 13th Amendment. In addition, the Machiavellian Government also has a
compelling need to first engulf, and thereby constrict and make
ineffective, the Tamil national aspirations within the framework of a
Unitary State structure.
“The TNA has also argued that by
capturing first the Eastern Provincial Council and then the Northern
Provincial Council, it can bring about a merger of the two provinces.
This is a blatant lie to fool the Tamil voters.
Even if TNA wins
overwhelmingly in the two provinces, passing resolutions in the two
provinces will not result in a legal merger of the provinces. The merger
can only be brought about in the parliament, as clearly spelt out in
the Sri Lankan Constitution.
“With 13 Tamil MPs out of a total of 225 MPs, working towards a merger in the Parliament is not possible.
“The
TNPF started a people struggle against land-grab, and the TNA has
performed admirable work in the matter in various areas.
“Holding
power in the Provincial Councils may have been a solution to resolve
the land-grab cases, if the constitution allowed such power to the local
councils. But the truth is the 13th Amendment does not even provide
these fundamental land powers to the Councils.
“We again plead with the TNA to officially reject the Provincial Councils.
“On
the matter of Tamil detainees, Nilaruban’s killing and the sustaining
of injuries of other detainees in Vavuniya have further exposed the
predicament of Tamils in incarceration.
“The situation of Tamils
detainees is dire. The detainees are under threat, lack protection
and have been denied due process. In the meantime, the Government is
claiming that the detainees are being rehabilitated and are being
re-integrated into the social fabric.
“It is a treacherous act
for any Tamil to accept that the Government’s rehabilitation efforts are
being carried out effectively and successfully. Ex-combatants, even
after being released, are living under close surveillance and constant
monitoring, and are living in perpetual fear of being killed or arrested
while living in an open prison.”
