Maheswaran says won’t contest April polls

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 February 2004, 17:11 GMT]
Mr. T. Maheswaran, who was Minister for Hindu Affairs in Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s United National Front (UNF) government, said Sunday he does not intend to contest elections to the Sri Lankan Parliament in April. Mr. Maheswran was the only Tamil from the UNF to be elected from the island’s northern parts in the Parliamentary polls in December 2001. Speaking at the opening of the renovated Karainagar Multi Purpose Co-operative Society Sunday morning, the ex minister said that he plans to retire from politics.

Mr. Maheswaran is a multi millionare businessman in Colombo. He confirmed to TamilNet’s correspondent in Jaffna that he is not contesting the forthcoming elections in Jaffna.

“When I contested in 2001 December, my aim was to reconstruct and develop Jaffna. I urge those who may be elected to Parliament in this election to do their best to improve the lot of people in Jaffna”, the UNF ex minister told TamilNet.

Mr. Maheswaran was among the non-cabinet ministers in Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s government who were sacked by President Chandrika Kumaratunga last week.