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Some TNA parliamentarians complain of marginalisation by LTTE leadership
By Chris Kamalendran
Some Tamil National Alliance members have expressed dissatisfaction that they are being sidelined by the LTTE leadership when decisions are communicated to their group.

Although TNA parliamentarians voted enbloc in favour of the UNF nominee, W.J.M. Lokubandara for the post of Speaker on Thursday, a dispute had broken out among the members.

The Sunday Times learns that the dispute had arisen, when TNA leader R. Sampanthan and TELO leader Selvam Adaikalanathan informed members - one hour before parliament met on Thursday - that the LTTE's political wing leader Thamilselvan had asked them to back the UNF candidate. The TNA members were told that the LTTE leader had said the members should support the UNF nominee as the new government until last Tuesday had not taken any concrete measures to revive the peace process.

At this point about five members had asked Mr. Sampanthan why the decision regarding the post of Speaker had not been communicated to them directly when the whole group met the LTTE leadership on Tuesday in Wanni.

Objections were first raised by TELO member, N.Sivajilingam who claimed they were not small children and whatever decisions taken in Wanni should be conveyed to them through proper channels.

Mr. Sivajilingam supported by four other members had pointed out that if the decision had been taken at the meeting on Tuesday in Wanni at the party leader's meeting they should have been kept informed of the decision instead of being marginalised.

Eventually however the members agreed that they would vote in favour of Mr. Lokubandara. In a separate development, some other TNA members had reportedly objected to Mr. Sampanthan taking along TNA national list member Joseph Pararajasingham to meet Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and CWC leader, Arumugam Thondaman. The members wanted the leadership to allow them too to accompany him at such meetings.

Snub for one, grub for others
TNA Parliamentarian, Kingsley Rasanayagam - who had allegedly been told to step down because he had been identified as a staunch supporter of renegade leader, Karuna - had reportedly been snubbed by the LTTE leader when he had attempted to meet him in the Wanni.

The Sunday Times learns that Mr. Rasanayagam had gone to Wanni with his family hoping he could meet Mr. Prabhakaran along with other TNA members who had been invited. Mr. Rasanayagam had reportedly waited for seven hours in Kilinochchi hoping for an appointment with Mr. Prabahakaran or even S.P.Thamilselvan. But his request had been turned down.

Mr. Rasanayagam has reportedly told his fellow MPs that he had contested the elections at the request of the LTTE but now he has been asked to step down. He had lamented that he had spent about one million rupees on the campaign.

Mr. Rasanayagam, a former Bank Officer had been imprisoned in 1990 under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). After his release he had been actively involved with the LTTE. At the April 2 elections he had polled over 38,000 votes in Battcaloa and had come fourth in the list.

Prabha the host
LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran had reportedly hosted the newly elected TNA Parliamentarians to a sumptuous lunch, when he met them at a meeting in Wanni.

The spread included different dishes of tiger prawns, fried and curried cuttle fish , dhal, brinjal, potato, tomato and onion salads. There was an option of rice or pittu, while fruit salad with bees’ honey made up the dessert.

The LTTE leader had freely mingled among the parliamentarians chatting with them. When the members were being introduced to the Tiger leader he had reportedly pointed to one and said, “I remember you. You were in jail weren’t you? He had been pointing to Sivanathan Kishore a Wanni distrcit representative.

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