ITAK submits candidates’ list to contest Jaffna district

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 February 2010, 12:39 GMT]
Mavai Senathirajah, General Secretary of Ilankai Thamil Arasuk Kadchi (ITAK) along with Appathurai Vinayagamoorthy of All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC) submitted the list of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) candidates contesting the general election Wednesday around 11:15 a.m in Jaffna Secretariat. This nomination list has excluded many of the TNA former parliamentarians causing dissatisfaction among several Tamil circles in Jaffna including Jaffna University community, the sources added.
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Thirumavalavan urges Tamils to refrain from celebrating Pongkal this year

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 12 January 2010, 14:30 GMT]
Thol Thirumavalavan, the leader of the Viduthalai Chi'ruththaika'l Kadchi (VCK) in a message appealed the Tamils in Tamil Nadu to refrain from celebrating Thai Pongkal to express distress and agony on behalf of Eelam Tamils who have been suffering in the internment camps of Sri Lanka Army after the brutal massacre of their loved ones by the Sri Lanka Army in their own soil.
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TAK passes 25 resolutions in its 60th anniversary meeting

[TamilNet, Monday, 11 January 2010, 04:23 GMT]
The General Committee of Thamizh Arasuk Kadchi (TAK) met Sunday in Jaffna on the 60th anniversary of its formation and passed 25 resolutions unanimously on issues related to Tamils, sources in Jaffna said. TAK said that it continues to stand firm that the Tamil ethnic issue should be resolved on the principles based on Tamil traditional homeland, Tamil Nation and self-rule based on the right to self-determination. The leader of Tamil National Alliance (TNA), R. Sampanthan presided the meeting which was held in the I’lam Kalaignar Hall in Nalloor.
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Sivajilingam contesting presidential election causes confusion among Tamil political parties

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 December 2009, 06:29 GMT]
Confusion and rift among the constituent parties of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) came to light Friday when Thamizh Arasukk Kadchi (TAK) prominent persons walked away from the event of paying respects to Thanthai Selva’s memorial monument in Jaffna when Sivajilingam, TNA parliamentarian and presidential candidate, tried to participate in the event, sources in Jaffna said. Sivajilingam garlanded the monument alone and the TAK persons came and paid their respects 15 minutes after Sivajilingam had left the place.
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Attempts to split TNA

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 December 2009, 06:35 GMT]
A faction led by Mavai Senathirajah and some by Srikantha, both Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians for Jaffna, are said to be engaged in activities aimed at splitting TNA, sources in Jaffna said. Srikantha and Selvam Adaikalanathan, another TNA parliamentarian, met Monday Basil Rajapakse, the brother and senior advisor of President Mahinda Rajapakse, in Colombo after which Srikantha told press that Basil Rajapakse had consented to allow resettlement of 4,500 IDPs from Valikaamam North in the first stage. Meanwhile, Mavai Senathirajah said in a press release to the media that Thamizh Arasukk Kadchi (TAK) had sent a letter to President Mahinda Rajapakse requesting the resettlement of IDPs in Valikaamam North.
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SLA denies permission to Thirumavalavan to meet public in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 October 2009, 07:26 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) authorities in Jaffna turned down the request of Thol. Thirumavalavan, Tamil Nadu Parliamentarian and leader of Viduthalai Chiruthaikal Kadchi (VCK) Party, to meet the public in Jaffna when the delegation of Tamil Nadu MPs was taken to Jaffna Public Library for a meeting Sunday, sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, Jaffna University Students expressed their strong protest against India for having let down the Eezham Tamils and for deceiving them continually, when the MPs met students in Jaffna University Sunday, the sources added.
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Protestors attack SL High Commission in New Delhi

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 October 2009, 12:28 GMT]
A group of Indian protesters, who were demonstrating against the Sri Lankan state Friday evening, attacked the Sri Lankan High Commission in New Delhi. The protesters were slanting slogans against the Rajapaksa government on Mahatma Gandhi's birthday. Indian Police said around 20 protesters broke through the barrier and caused damage to some property inside the high commission. Meanwhile, activists in Tamil Nadu staged widespread protests against the Sri Lankan government and the Indian government, which they alleged abetting the genocide in Sri Lanka.
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Melting pot of Eezham-Tamil democratic politics

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 September 2009, 21:31 GMT]
While the idea of transnational government (TNG) is captivating the minds of Eezham Tamils, their public opinion should be watchful for political moves not slipping in concepts and terminologies and the organisation process maintaining absolute financial independence. Democratically elected country councils widen, strengthen and secure the democratic structure of TNG and help it to evolve from bottom to top. The nation needs to explore models of structurally integrating country councils and bodies such as GTF in the apex body of TNG. Conducive atmosphere has to be created for wider participation of the society, youth and women. The trauma and depression Eezham Tamils undergo, can be conquered by them only by innovatively engaging in action – this time democratic action – and by demonstrating their spirit unconquered.
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Tamil Nadu government erases the word 'Eezham'

[TamilNet, Monday, 17 August 2009, 23:08 GMT]
Tamil Nadu Police was seen pasting white papers on the word 'Eezham' and on the picture of LTTE leader V. Pirapaharan, figured in the banners and posters of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Kadchi (VCK) organised uprising in Chennai attended by more than 100,000 people Monday. The VCK's annual uprising day, conducted on the birthday of its leader Thol Thirumavalavan, has chosen the theme 'Ezhum Thamizh Eezham' for this year. The phrase can either mean the 'rising Tamil Eelam' or 'Tamil Eelam will rise'. The word 'Eezham' is the earliest reference to today's island of Sri Lanka, found in Tamil literature and inscriptions of pre-Christian centuries.
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Tamil voters nullify SL Government’s expectation - TNA

[TamilNet, Sunday, 09 August 2009, 15:28 GMT]
“Tamil National Alliance (TNA) winning Vavuniyaa Urban Council (VUC) election and Tamils refraining from voting in large numbers in Jaffna Municipal Council (JMC) election prove that Sri Lanka Government was not able to achieve the success it planned for and expected. We wish to thank the Tamils for voting for Ilankai Thamizh Arasu Kadchi (ITAK) even amidst intimidation and frustration and despair caused by the war,” TNA said in a press release signed by Jaffna District TNA parliamentarian, Mavai Senathirajah, Sunday.
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Remdiyas gets highest number of preferential votes in JMC election

[TamilNet, Sunday, 09 August 2009, 07:50 GMT]
Mudiyappu Remediyas, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) backed chief candidate of Ilankai Thamizh Arasuk Kadchi (ITAK) scored 4223 votes, the highest number of preferential votes, in Jaffna Municipal Council (JMC) election held Saturday while ITAK second candidate, Ms. Anthonypillai Mariamma, got 1678 votes. United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) chief candidate failed to secure a seat while V. Anandasangaree contesting in Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) ticket secured one seat obtaining 424 votes.
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Elections jeopardize democracy

[TamilNet, Sunday, 09 August 2009, 00:46 GMT]
With only 20 percent turn out in the municipal elections, the clear verdict of the Eezham Tamils is no confidence in the Sri Lankan state and its institutions, said Tamil circles, commenting further that genocidal war and democratic elections mean the same for Colombo. They were citing the manner in which the elections were conducted denying entry to outside witnesses, while 40 percent of the voters not present, 50 percent of polling cards not delivered, Colombo-sponsored forgery of ID cards accused, people coerced and even the Tamil outfit with the government was forced to drop its identity. Whether war and elections against Tamils mean the same to the international community too is the question now coming from the Tamil circles which pointed out that the armed forces occupying the peninsula were more than double in number than the people voted in the elections.
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UPFA takes Jaffna in 20% voter turnout, ITAK wins Vavuniyaa

[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 August 2009, 21:37 GMT]
With international media reporting that Jaffna voters have rejected the Municipal council elections with less than 20% turnout, the ruling UPFA won 10,602 votes obtaining 10 seats with 2 additional bonus seats, and Ilangkai Thamizh Arasuk Kadchi (ITAK) took 8 seats after polling 8008 votes. In the Vavuniyaa Urban Council elections, ITAK secured 5 seats with Democratic Peoples Liberation Front (DPLF) obtaing 3 seats, UPFA 2 seats, and Sri Lanka Muslim Congress 1 seat.
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Massive election fraud imminent, says ITAK

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 August 2009, 14:53 GMT]
Ilankai Thamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK) in a letter addressed to the Sri Lanka's Commissioner of Elections complained that 'a party' contesting Jaffna Municipal Council Elections Saturday is printing forged National Identity Cards (NICs) to commit impersonations to illegally obtain additional votes in its favor. Mavai Senathirajah, General Secretary of ITAK, in the letter appealed to the Commissioner to allow polling agents to verify the authenticity of voters to prevent fraudulent voting.
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TNA conducts election procession in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 August 2009, 14:41 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians, contestants in Jaffna Municipal Council (JMC) election and supporters marched in a procession Tuesday around 10:00 a.m which started from Suresh Premachandran’s office on Hospital Road in Jaffna and ended at Jaffna Co-operative Society Hall. TNA leader and Trincomalee district MP, R. Sampanthan and TNA parliamentarians Mavai Senathirajah, S. Thurairatnasingam, Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, Solomon Cyril, Pathmini Sithamparanathan and Suresh Premachandran marched in the procession, sources in Jaffna said.
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EPDP men violate human rights – ITAK chief candidate Remediyas

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 August 2009, 14:16 GMT]
“Minister Douglas Devananda’s men are intimidating the fishermen in Jaffna that the ban on fishing will be imposed again if they vote for Ilankai Thamizh Arasu Kadchi (ITAK) in Jaffna Municipal Council (JMC) election and this is an obvious violation of human rights,” Mudiyappu Remediyas, the principal candidate of ITAK, said in the press conference held Tuesday in ITAK office in Jaffna.
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Ruling party supporters confiscate voting cards in Jaffna – TNA

[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 August 2009, 17:11 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Jaffna district parliamentarian Suresh Premachandran alleged that the ruling party contestants in Jaffna Municipal Council (JMC) election had forcibly confiscated more than 1500 voting cards from residents in Kozhumpuththu’rai, Ariyaalai and Eachchamoaddai area in Jaffna, in a press meet held in his Jaffna office Saturday. TNA parliamentarians Gejendrakumar Ponnambalam and Solomon Cyril along with Thamizharsuk Kadchi (TK) chief candidate Mudiyappu Remedias attended the press meet.
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Police, SLA partial to UPFA in JMC election

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 July 2009, 04:39 GMT]
Political parties and Independent groups contesting the forthcoming Jaffna Municipal Council (JMC) elections accused the police and Sri Lanka Army (SLA) for being partial to United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) in the issue of campaign wall posters, sources in Jaffna said. Though the police authorities had banned all wall posters and had ordered the removal of the posters, the police and the SLA had only torn and tarred the posters of Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) and Thamizh Arasuk Kadchi (TAK) political parties, leaving the UPFA posters untouched, the sources added.
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Second election related violence reported in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 July 2009, 05:07 GMT]
Unidentified armed men on motorcycles followed the Thamizharasuk Kadchi party contestant in the forthcoming Jaffna Municipal Council (JMC) elections and forcibly took away Tuesday the wall posters and handbills from him at gunpoint at Hospital Road-Old Railway Station Road junction in Jaffna, an area guarded by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers day and night, according to the complaint made to Jaffna Election Officer. Meanwhile, Sunday night, on ‘Black Tigers Day’, unknown persons had smashed the temporary election office of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) located near Jaffna Bishop’s House in Kurunakar, sources in Jaffna said.
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Indian High Commissioner on pulse reading mission in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 July 2009, 15:10 GMT]
Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Mr. Alok Prasad, arrived at Palaali Military Airport Tuesday morning accompanied by his deputy and political wing head and held several meetings in Jaffna with the representatives of academic circles, political parties, interreligious associations and civil organizations in Jaffna peninsula in an effort to read the pulse of the people of the peninsula, sources in Jaffna said. “The Sinhalese people in Sri Lanka have faith only on China while the Tamils had absolute faith on India which had committed a historical blunder by betraying the Tamils in Sri Lanka,” one of the civil society representative participant said, commenting on Alok Prasad’s visit to Jaffna.
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