Vigneswaran to lead new Tamil alliance for LG polls

Wednesday, 11 January 2023 00:10 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

TNA constituents TELO and PLOTE to form a new alliance with other parties after ITAK decides to contest LG polls separately
Viganeswaran is slated to be named as leader of the new alliance
Political commentators believe the new alliance may spell the end for TNA
Sumanthiran insists TNA will continue as an alliance following LG polls

By Maneshka Borham

MP C.V. Vigneswaran

A new Tamil political alliance is set to emerge in Sri Lanka ahead of the Local Government elections after coalition partners of the TNA met yesterday and decided to contest the upcoming Local Government polls separately.

Following a meeting at the residence of TNA Leader R. Sampanthan on the upcoming polls, Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO) Leader Selvam Adaikalanathan said the party will form an alliance with C.V. Vigneswaran’s Tamil People’s National Alliance (TPNA). Northern Province former Chief Minister and current MP Vigneswaran, is expected to be named as leader of the new alliance.

Adaikalanathan confirmed that another constituent of the TNA, the People’s Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) led by D. Siddarthan will also join the new alliance. In addition to this former TNA coalition partner, Eelam People’s Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) led by Suresh Premachandran is also expected to follow suit.

The decision to form a new alliance ahead of the polls was confirmed after the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) of the TNA insisted the party wishes to contest the polls separately. A decision to contest the upcoming Local Government election under its own symbol, the house was decided at a party central committee meeting held last month in Batticaloa.

At the time it was decided they would seek the opinions of other parties in the TNA as well. However, during the meeting led by Samapanthan, the ITAK was adamant it would contest separately. According to Adaikalanathan, the new group will also extend invitations to other Tamil political parties including Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam’s All Ceylon Tamil Congress and the Rehabilitated Democratic Carders Party. The group hopes to form a stronger alliance of Tamil parties allowing them to win more seats at future polls.

Political commentators believe if successful at the Local Government polls, the new alliance will most likely spell the political end of the TNA that has dominated the Tamil political arena in Sri Lanka to date.

However, following the meeting between the parties yesterday, TNA Spokesman M.A. Sumanthiran said TNA’s constituents will only disband for the upcoming election and will continue as an alliance going forward.