TNA holds record election meetings in Muttur

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 23 March 2004, 10:35 GMT]
"The current ceasefire has been signed and peace talks commenced with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) when the successive governments in Colombo failed to destroy the LTTE militarily. This should be clearly borne in every one's mind," said Mr.R.Sampanthan, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader and the lead candidate of the Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchchi (ITAK) contesting the forthcoming general election in the Trincomalee district when addressing a series of election meetings held in Muttur division from morning till late in the night of Sunday.

Mr.R.Sampanthan, leader of Tamil National Alliance (TNA)

About ten TNA election meetings at several Tamil villages including Muttur, Mawadichenai, Peruveli, Ralkuli, Aalimsenai and Manalchenai were held on Sunday. The final meeting at Mallikaitheivu started at about ten p.m. on Sunday, sources said

He added" Today every Sinhala political party in the south says that it is prepared to hold talks with the LTTE, only with the LTTE and also without condition while continuing the current ceasefire. This situation would not have arisen if the governments in Colombo militarily destroyed the LTTE."

Mr.Sampanthan further said the current election is being held in the background after LTTE submitted its interim self-governing authority proposal to the United National Front government during the latter part of last year.

Those chauvinist forces who could not digest the contents of the LTTE ISGA proposal were behind the take over of three key ministries from the UNF government and the dissolution of the parliament, which led to a snap general election, Mr.Sampanthan said.

Merely continuing the ceasefire agreement would not solve the Tamil national question. The establishment of the ISGA as suggested by the LTTE in the northeast province would only bring relief and normalcy in the lives of hundreds of thousands of internally displaced Tamil families due to the war and to rehabilitation and reconstruct the war ravaged Tamil homeland, said Mr.Sampanthan.

"The TNA would work in and out parliament to establish ISGA and also would tell the international community the urgency of establishing the same in the northeast after the general election. To achieve this objective Tamil people should elect at least twenty-one TNA parliamentarians in the forthcoming general election, stressed Mr.Sampanthan.

The forthcoming general election should not be considered as an ordinary one. Tamils should treat this election as a referendum to strengthen the hands of LTTE which has submitted the ISGA, said Mr.Sampanthan.