Winds of change at CWC convention

• Nepotistic leadership tradition broken
• 20% quota for women in leadership position

The Ceylon Workers’ Congress, which has been dominated by the Thondaman family since it was founded by Saumyamoorthy Thondaman back in 1939 under went a major change on Friday. For the first time since its inception a member outside of the Thondaman family -Mutu Sivalingam- was elected as its President.

At the 68th National Convention of the organization held at the Heaven Rest in Chilaw, CWC founder’s grandson Arumugam Thondaman who held the post of party President after the death of his grandfather, assumed the position of General Secretary.
R. Yogarajan who was appointed National Organiser told The Sunday Times that it was also the first time since its founding that the party’s annual convention was held outside Nuwara Eliya.

The party’s oldest living heavyweight M.S. Sellasamy, who had been number two to its founder, except for a brief period of estrangement, was rewarded with the position of Party Patron.

Under the changes adopted, the CWC appointed ten Vice Presidents, namely:S. Jegathiswaran, M. Sachithanandan, V. Radakrishnan, D. Madugarajah, Vel Gurusamy, Harry Chandrasekera, P. Sivaraja, K. Marimuttu, Ms. Anusha Sivaraja and Ms. Velamma Sellasamy. According to Mr. Yogarajan the last day of the three-day convention (Saturrday) sessions concluded with the passing of several resolutions.

Chief among them was a call to all parties to the current ethnic conflict to arrive at a fresh ceasefire agreement and the implementation of -two-systems in one country- arrangement as in the case of China and Hong Kong which was proposed by their late leader Saumyamoorthy Thandaman.

The convention also took up the issue of raising women’s participation in all strata of the organization and has agreed to a minimum of 20% stake in leadership positions for them. On the issue of the cost of living, the party passed a resolution calling on government to provide a subsidy on flour, kerosene and milk powder.