Support a party which can address our issues; Wigneswaran

Northern Provincial Council’s Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran, who decided to stay “neutral” for the parliamentary elections, called upon Tamils to support a party which stood for retaining Tamil identity and safeguarding the right to self-determination. In a statement, Mr. Wigneswaran laid down the “qualifications” for such a party. He said the party should be steadfast in seeking independent international inquiry into ‘genocide’ of the Tamil race in Sri Lanka. Mr Wigneswaran said there were parties which had prepared manifestoes that did not respect the aspects of preserving the Tamil identity and the right to self determination. Referring to “lessons that he got from the people” after he assumed charge as Chief Minister of the Northern Province, the Chief Minister said that according to the people, politicians invariably forgot their promises once polls were over and they were conducting themselves as not to offend politicians from southern parts of Sri Lanka. Meanwhile the TNA chief R. Sampanthan said he did not want to react as he was not part of the election campaign team. (The Hindu)