Wigneswaran, TNA to iron out strains

Northern Province’s Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran will soon hold a meeting with the leadership of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) to sort out differences on key issues.

Tamil National Alliance’s deputy leader in Parliament Mavai S. Senathirajah said Mr. Wigneswaran, in a letter to TNA chief R. Sampanthan, had proposed the meeting.

Mr. Senathirajah, who is also the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) president, said there were various issues, including those concerning the Council, that had to be discussed.

He hinted that Members of Parliament and the Council from the province would also be invited. He pointed out that Mr. Sampanthan was till recently away from the country. Asked to comment on the Chief Minister’s letter, Mr. Senathirajah said he did not want to discuss internal party affairs through the media.

“It is time for unity. We have to remain focused and get together so that the United Nation’s Human Rights Council’s resolution on accountability and reconciliation is implemented in letter and spirit and a permanent political settlement is found,” he said.

Mr. Wigneswaran, whose statement was in response to certain remarks of the TNA legislator M.A. Sumanthiran, justified his decision to stay neutral during the parliamentary polls in August.

He recalled his interview to the media in July in which he said that he had no need to quit the Alliance.

“As of now, I continue to stick to this position,” he said.

Mr. Senathirajah too referred to this observation of Mr. Wigneswaran to substantiate his call for unity.

Question of loyalty

Stressing the issue of loyalty towards the organisation, Mr. Sumanthiran, in his rejoinder, said “we are all also bound by a duty to overcome efforts to divide the TNA and work constructively in the interests of our people.” (The Hindu)