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TNA faces dispute over nominations
View(s):The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and its coalition partners are locked in a dispute over nominations for smaller parties in the alliance, party sources said. The dispute arose after smaller parties asked that at least two members from each smaller party be given nominations in the Northern and eastern Provinces. These parties include the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO), Eelam People’s Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF-Suresh wing) and the Democratic People’s Liberation Front which is the political wing of the PLOTE.
The Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK), the main party of the alliance, is to nominate four prominent members for each district in the two provinces, thereby minimising chances for the election of members from smaller parties, the sources said.
TNA Leader R. Sampanthan said they would be meeting in Vavuniya tomorrow to sort out issues over the nominations.
He said in view of the reduction of the number of members to be elected from the Jaffna district the TNA was forced to nominate prominent candidates from other districts so that they could be elected.
Meanwhile, on Friday, a new political front which consists of former LTTE cadres was formed.
The group’s Co-ordinator, Nadeshapillai Vithiyadharan, a journalist said the group would also seek nominations through the TNA.
However, the Sunday Times learns that the TNA would not accept nominees from this group.
The group known as ‘Crusaders of Democracy’ is likely to contest independently if nominations are not given by the TNA.