TNPF strikes hardline, won’t join Tamil National Council

Claims Sumanthiran trying to protect Prez

By Dinasena Ratugamage, our Vavuniya corr.

The Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) has declined to join the proposed Tamil National Council (TNC) scheduled to be established in Vavuniya on Feb. 26.

TNPF National List MP Selvarasa Kajendran told the media in Jaffna on Monday (22) that it would never throw its weight behind the TNC. The TNPF parliamentary group consists of two lawmakers with Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam being the other MP.

MP Kajendran said that the TNPF had boycotted talks recently held in Jaffna to discuss the proposed alliance as the conduct of five Tamil National Alliance (TNA) members wasn’t acceptable to his party. The TNA parliamentary group consists of 10 lawmakers.

Alleging that Jaffna District TNA MP, M. A. Sumanthiran, PC, had been the main obstacle for them to reach a consensus, MP Kajendran alleged that the MP had betrayed their cause. MP Kajendran claimed that Sumanthiran was trying to protect President Gotabaya Rajapaksa though he served as the TNA spokesperson.

Commenting on the ongoing Geneva sessions, MP Kajendran said that the TNA should take responsibility in case the UNHRC issued a diluted resolution in respect of Sri Lanka. Tamil political party representatives said that they were disappointed at the way the UNHRC handled the issue. They alleged that the Core Group on Sri Lanka as well as UNHRC members hadn’t been receptive to their proposals.