TNA to contest local elections, TPPF politically divided

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 January 2011, 05:14 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has decided to contest all the local government institutions in the North and Eastern provinces in the forthcoming election. Some of the political parties affiliated to the recently formed Tamil Political Parties Forum (TPPF) have reportedly expressed their willingness to contest the forthcoming local election under the TNA banner, informed sources said. The official TNA stand is to contest alone. Meanwhile, the TNA is increasingly under pressure to put forward a document on political solution as absolute ‘minimum’ from both New Delhi and Colombo establishments, informed sources said.

The TPPF has been used as a platform to exert pressure and influence on the TNA.

Tharmalingam Siththarthan, who heads the PLOTE paramilitary group and TNA parliamentarian Maavai Senathirajah had met last Friday and discussed about the possibility about reaching an understanding regarding the forthcoming local election.

However the TNA politburo is yet to take a decision to accommodate parties of the TPPF that are willing to contest under TNA ticket.

At the last meeting of the TPPF held last weekend at the office of PLOTE in Colombo, representatives of the two paramilitary groups are reported to have expressed their unwillingness to contest under the TNA ticket.

The two main paramilitary groups, the EPDP led by Douglas Devananda, a cabinet Minister in the Mahinda Rajapaksa government and TMVP led by Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, the chief minister of the Eastern Provincial Council (EPC) are also the constituents of the TPPF.

EPDP leader Douglas Devananda has said that his party would face the election under the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) ticket. TMVP also expressed the same view, sources said.

The other constituents of the TPPF are EPRLF led by Naba group, TELO by Sri Sabaratnam group and Tamil People Liberation Front led by former TNA parliamentarian M.K.Sivajilingam.

TULF led by V.Aanandasangaree, who has been supporting Mahinda Rajapaksa's regime, is also constituent of the TPPF.