CWC empowers Thondaman to decide on next political move

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 July 2004, 18:22 GMT]
The politburo of the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC), a constituent of the main opposition United National Front (UNF) Tuesday empowered its leader Mr.Arumugam Thondaman to study the current political situation following the defeat of the UNF in the Saturday's provincial council and to take a decision whether to join the minority United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government or not, CWC sources said.

The CWC politburo met Tuesday and discussed in detail the current political situation following the landslide victory of the UPFA at the provincial council election and the strategy to be adopted at the next session of the parliament which is scheduled to meet on July 20, the sources said.

Several suggestions were made at the politburo meeting in joining the UPFA government. Some suggested that the UPFA should give important place to CWC councilors in the Central Provincial Council administration if it needed CWC support in the parliament, the sources said.

Another suggestion was made at the meeting that CWC leader should come to a decision about joining the UPFA government after meeting President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge, the sources said.

The CWC has eight parliamentarians and eleven provincial councilors.

CWC parliamentarian Mr.M.S.Sellasamy after the crucial meeting of the politburo said that they would meet again within few days to ratify the decision of Mr.Thondaman regarding the question of joining the UPFA government, the sources said.

Meanwhile some UPFA leaders are in touch with the CWC leadership wooing its support in the parliament to secure absolute majority. Currently the common opposition claims that it has the support of 114 parliamentarians.