TNA gives two key posts to TELO, PLOTE to keep depleted alliance intact

By Dinasena Ratugamage

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leadership has given two positions in the alliance to Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO) and People’s Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) stalwarts in a bid to keep the alliance intact.

As a part of this strategy, TELO leader and Wanni district MP, Selvam Adaikalanathan will be appointed the TNA spokesperson. MP M.A. Sumanthiran who held the position has announced that he would resign from the post. PLOTE leader, Dharmalingam Siddarthan will be appointed the chief organiser of the TNA. MP, S. Sritharan currently holds this position. These decisions were taken at a meeting of the party after the swearing in of new MPs last Friday.

Both PLOTE and TELO strongly opposed Thawarasa Kalaiarasan, who represents the East getting the TNA National List slot. The two parties claimed that TNA leader R. Sampanthan and MP M.A. Sumanthiran had taken the decision without consulting the party’s Central Committee.

During the 2018 local council election, the PLOTE and the TELO strongly opposed a number of decisions taken by the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) leaders, accusing them of taking decisions without the concurrence of the TNA Central Committee. The two parties attempted to leave the TNA and even handed over nominations to several local councils in Vavuniya and Mannar. They patched up their differences following the intervention of community leaders.

However, the rift widened again with the appointment of Kalaiarasan to the National List post.