TNA manifesto a product of muddled political thinking
Posted on September 11th, 2013
By Philip Fernando
Mollifying the electorate for the purpose of garnering votes is unworthy of a party striving to better the lives of people still writhing in pain after a mythical freedom fight inflicted by the Tigers.
ƒ”š‚ The TNA’s propaganda machine in full swing calling for self-governance in a re-merged North-Eastern Province seemed just propaganda meant to draw voters.ƒ”š‚ Hiding from sight is that letter furnished to the Elections Secretariat reiterating their commitment to the unitary status of the country in accordance with the ƒ¢¢”š¬’Seventh Schedule’ of the Sixth Amendment to the Constitution. The Election department had confirmed that TNA candidates signing that letter.
ƒ”š‚ TNA’s double-faced approach
ƒ”š‚ Under JR’s Sixth Amendment of August 8, 1983 in the wake of the outbreak of Eelam War I, all elections-national and local became mandatory.ƒ”š‚ Each contestant had to reaffirm that he/she will uphold and defend the Constitution and won’t directly or indirectly, in or outside Sri Lanka, support, espouse, promote, finance, encourage or advocate the establishment of a separate state within the territory of Sri Lanka. TNA went by without informing the electorate about their decision to abide by that.
ƒ”š‚ TNA had, like any other political party in the fray, furnished letters guaranteeing their allegiance to the Constitution. Against that background, the much publicized TNA’s manifesto became irrelevant. Whatever the rhetoric that is embodied in the TNA manifesto as regards governance has to be achieved through a unitary state–so Manifesto’s clarion call for other things is just beyond accomplishment and thus irrelevant.
ƒ”š‚ Calling for the re-merger of the Eastern Province with the Northern Province, the TNA declared that the devolution of power should be on the basis of shared sovereignty, necessarily over land, law and order, socio-economic development including health and education, resources and fiscal powers. The part about unitary nature of the country fell by the wayside.
The TNA manifesto believes in the ƒ¢¢”š¬…”immediate necessity for a democratically elected body with legislative, executive and fiscal powers ƒ¢¢”š¬- to take over those functions of governance rightly belonging to us.” But that was within the established unitary state of Sri Lanka. To praise ƒ¢¢”š¬…”the fierce urgency of the momentƒ¢¢”š¬‚ in their attempt to capture power and to then deviate towards some other goal seemed duplicitous to say the least. TNA campaign is headed by a former Supreme Court judge and it is questionable what faction of the TNA dominated the discussion on the manifesto.
ƒ”š‚ Does TNA believe in the Provincial Council apparatus?
ƒ”š‚ To go by its election manifesto the TNA seems completely oblivious to how the Provincial Council system came to be set up in 1987-88.ƒ”š‚ All the hullabaloo that TNA exhibited when Navi Pillai was in Sri Lanka, seemed just a hoax. TNA must openly say where it stands for the 13th Amendment. The talk of democratization of politics was just a showƒ¢¢”š¬-the PC system is now the man avenue for the people to exercise their sovereign rights regarding governance. TNA has to feel elevated that for the first time in years the PC election in the North provides an opening which the TNA had been clamoring for.
ƒ”š‚ TNA is also wishy-washy about what role the rest of the country must play in bringing people together.ƒ”š‚ TNA seemed totally unconcerned about what democracy in a mutli-cultural country meansƒ¢¢”š¬-the majority community has to be woven into the fabric the same way minorities are being brought into it. There is a sizeable segment of southern society that had always cared for narrowing the gap between the North and The South.ƒ”š‚ TNA has not mentioned a word about it.
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TNA’s mind-boggling linkage to Tigers
TNA was just a proxy of the Tigers.ƒ”š‚ They seemed to have not abandoned that position.ƒ”š‚ The TNA’s electoral manifesto clearly show that the new leadership of the TNA failed to learn from the failure of Prabhakaran.ƒ”š‚ Even Navi Pillay grudgingly proclaimed Tigers as a ruthless terror group.ƒ”š‚ Yet the TNA whole-hearted embraced what Prabhakaran stood forƒ¢¢”š¬-uncritically and in a mind-boggling manner.
In their indecent haste to attack Unitarianism TNS leaders wrongly recalled ƒ¢¢”š¬…””At the time of independence from colonial rule in 1948, Ceylon was foisted with a unitary type constitution with simple majoritarian rule.”ƒ”š‚ That fact occurred in the first Republican Constitution of 1972. TNA just went viral at the mere mention of the word unitary. TNA has not made a serious attempt to assess what broadened democracy stands forƒ¢¢”š¬-whether it is in the North or the South. No TNA manifesto state that “While no progress was being made on the political front to solve the burning national issue, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) continued its armed struggle.”
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TNA has shown a unenlightened and ill-conceived plan just to capture power.ƒ”š‚ To put it politely this is nothing less than a lie. TNA had forgotten how the Indo-Lanka accord and the North-East Provincial Council came about? ƒ”š‚ Prabhakaran naively launched the armed struggle and TNA is just taking poppy cock nowƒ¢¢”š¬-seeing that PC elections may provide some handle into what the Tamil people have been longing for.ƒ”š‚
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Tigers never grabbed the achievable political goals
available Tigers kept on baiting and swishing as they please just buying time and unilaterally resumed the war whenever they felt like doing so.ƒ”š‚ Premadasa paid dearly with his life trying to fathom Tiger strategy.ƒ”š‚ Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga’s advanced political reform packages of 1995, 1997 and 2000 were rejected by the Tigers? ƒ”š‚ Did the Tigers never changed tactics and continued despite the availability of achievable political goals.
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ƒ”š‚ The TNA manifesto distorts the fact that the “Ceasefire Agreement did not last and hostilities broke out between the government forces and the LTTE with the military confrontation coming to an end on 19th May 2009.” This is sheer hypocrisy and unworthy of being put into a manifesto. It brazenly avoids to state that during that CFA the Tigers murdered dozens of police and armed forces personnel and demonstrated its striking commitment to the CFA by shooting the Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka, Hon Lakshman Kadirgamar.
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September 11th, 2013 at 1:59 pm
INACTION on the part of the govt. is the biggest problem here.
JR suspended ALL TNA (TULF) jokers from parliament.
This is what should happen today.
September 11th, 2013 at 3:23 pm
TNA has NO respect for its vote bloc. and that is why they lied to them. Why ? because there are a large number of uneducated illegal migrants among that vote bloc who feel they do not belong in Sri Lanka, but do belong somewhere else, mythical Eelam perhaps ?
Is the TNA duping its vote bloc, and/or lying to the GoSL & the people of Lanka re their real intentions ? Only time will tell, if GoSL does go ahead with this parody of elections, which is an insult to any democracy.
There are a number of unlawful items in this election, the most important being that there are Tamil illegal migrants allowed to vote. These poor people were probably brought in during the ltte tenure of the N&NE and have no knowledge of the history of Sri Lanka or the politics in a Democracy. They speak only Tamil. Can they write even in Tamil ? Duping them may be easy.
The second important item is the TNA Manifesto. As the TNA is an UNREGISTERED political party, why is it allowed to have a Manifesto which is going against the laws of Lanka and also contest elections via a registered political party, the ITAK. Do the Elections Laws of Sri Lanka allow this type of senseless action ? If our Election Laws allow it, then something is very wrong with our Election Laws.
Question: why did the Minister for External Affairs, Mr G.L. Peiris, when interviewed in India, say to one of newspapers there that : ‘Yes, they will be allowed to form a government’ referring to the NPC elections ? NPC elections only allow the formation of Provincial Councils, not ‘governments’.
Can someone explain to us just what is going on and where all this is leading to.
September 11th, 2013 at 4:22 pm
Fran,
The fault is NOT alone with the TNA.
It is the Tamil people who vote for ITAK that has NOT done ANY good for the people.
JR was the BEST in handling them. He banned TULF in July 1983. MR has no backbone to do what JR did and will pay a VERY heavy price.
Just imagine what would have happened if TULF continued in politics from 1983 to 1993? DISASTER! They would have used their parliamentary rights to discredit the country.
September 11th, 2013 at 8:18 pm
Simple Translation of TNA stand is: “We will take whatever you fools give us NOW, and CONTINUE to fight for a separate Sovereign Eelam LATER”!
This stand … spelled out in BLACK & WHITE in the TNA manifesto to attract Separatist Support to the TNA while it poses pro-forma as law-abiding party accepting the Unitary Status of Sri Lanka to gain legal status in the PC Elections …. is NOTHING SHORT OF OUTRIGHT DUPLICITY and A PUBLIC DECLARATION OF TREASON.
It should be treated as such, and the TNA candidacy in the PC Elections should be REJECTED as that of a TREASONOUS PARTY that has given every intention of VIOLATING the Constitution of Sri Lanka.
No Legal Political Organization of Sri Lanka standing for Elections should be allowed to AGREE TO ABIDE BY THE CONSTITUTION in one document and then make DECLARATIONS TO THE CONTRARY in another legal document … its ELECTION MANIFESTO! That is tantamount to not only MISLEADING THE VOTING PUBLIC as to the POLICIES IT WILL PURSUE ONCE IT IS ELECTED, but also VIOLATES the CONSITUTION, the Supreme Law of Land.
In issuing this MANIFESTO, the TNA has given INCONTROVERTIBLE EVIDENCE OF TREACHERY. The GOSL should USE it NOW to the Fullest Extent of the Law to punish these TRAITORS!
The TNA Leaders should now be ARRESTED, PROSECUTED, CONVICTED and PUNISHED for TREASON against the Nation.
Failure to HOLD ACCOUNTABLE the TNA Leaders for TREASON, will ENCOURAGE the TNA, and ALL OTHER POTENTIAL HIDDEN TRAITORS to VIOLATE the Laws of Land with IMPUNITY, with NO FEAR OF RETRIBUTION!
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NPC polls: ‘Seventh Schedule negates core of TNA manifesto’
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Island.lk
September 10, 2013
The TNA’s controversial manifesto calling for self-governance in a re-merged North-Eastern Province was just propaganda meant to draw voters as all those contesting the first Northern PC polls, on the TNA ticket, had furnished a letter each to the Elections Secretariat reiterating their commitment to the unitary status of the country in accordance with the ‘Seventh Schedule’ of the Sixth Amendment to the Constitution, Election Department sources said.
The then President J. R. Jayewardene introduced the Sixth Amendment on August 8, 1983 in the wake of the outbreak of Eelam War I.
Elections Department officials said that the ‘Seventh Schedule’ was applicable to all elections, including the presidential.
Each contestant had to reaffirm that he/she will uphold and defend the Constitution and won’t directly or indirectly, in or outside Sri Lanka, support, espouse, promote, finance, encourage or advocate the establishment of a separate state within the territory of Sri Lanka.
Responding to a query by The Island, sources pointed out that the TNA had, like any other political party in the fray, furnished letters guaranteeing their allegiance to the Constitution. Against that background, the much publicised TNA’s manifesto became irrelevant. Those who had voiced grave concern over the TNA manifesto had conveniently forgotten that whatever MP R. Sampanthan’s party propagated, it too, was committed to unitary status.
The TNA’s commitment to the Sixth Amendment had made the manifesto irrelevant, sources said.
The Elections Secretariat recently rejected nominations of seven candidates of an Independent group, contesting from the Kilinochchi District, on the basis that the document bearing the ‘Seventh Schedule of the Constitution had not been properly signed by one candidate who had lost his index finger due to the war.
Three disabled war victims and four others who had their nominations to contest the Northern Provincial Council polls rejected, have complained to the Court of Appeal that the aforesaid rejection by the Returning Officer for Kilinochchi was mala fide and arbitrary.
The petitioners are K. Dharmalingam and six others from Kilinochchi District.
Additional Elections Commissioner U. Amaradasa told The Island that whatever the circumstances, all candidates would have to fulfil the obligations in accordance with the ‘Seventh Schedule.’
Calling for the re-merger of the Eastern Province with the Northern Province, the TNA declared that the devolution of power should be on the basis of shared sovereignty, necessarily over land, law and order, socio-economic development including health and education, resources and fiscal powers
The TNA said: “To achieve the above including self-reliance it is imperative that we need self-government. We have set out a two-stage constitutional process to secure this. Whilst we do our utmost to play a positive role in promoting self-government for the Tamil-speaking people in the North-East, we will carry on with our political negotiations for meaningful sharing of powers of governance. We cannot emphasise more the immediate necessity for a democratically elected body with legislative, executive and fiscal powers — to take over those functions of governance rightly belonging to us.”
Responding to a query by The Island, Elections Chief Mahinda Deshapriya said that all political parties including the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) had to accept the ‘Seventh Schedule.’ Although the Northerners would be voting at provincial council polls for the first time on September 21, the ‘Seventh Schedule’ had applied to all elections for over two decades, Deshapriya said.
September 11th, 2013 at 8:25 pm
BAH! My Assessment: Absolutely NOTHING will come out this Lawyers Guild case, just as the JHU moves to remove the 13th Amendment was a MONUMENTAL flop! All smoke and no fire!
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Nationalist organization in Sri Lanka to take legal action against Tamil party election manifesto
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Sept 10, Colombo: A nationalist organization in Sri Lanka, the Sri Lanka Lawyers’ Guild said that they will file a case in the Supreme Court against the election manifesto of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA).
Kapila Gamage, the convener of the Sri Lanka Lawyers’ Guild, a lesser known lawyers’ organization linked to the Nationalist Organizations Collective said the TNA manifesto was against the Constitution of the country.
He said that the proclamation of self-rule in the manifesto is a violation of the Sri Lanka Constitution. He reminded that it is compulsory for any elected member of an election to any institution to take oaths confirming that he or she will safeguard the constitution of the country.
The Sinhala nationalist organizations pointed out that the TNA has announced the election victory would be manipulated as a mandate to lobby for a self-rule and re-unification of the Northern and Eastern Provinces.
Gamage said that the legal action would be initiated before the election.
Veteran nationalists Gunadasa Amarasekara, Bengamuwe Nalaka Thero and several others participated in the press conference held to protest the TNA manifesto yesterday.
Meanwhile, Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said that the manifesto presented by the Tamil National Alliance for the Northern Provincial election has distorted the fight against terrorism.
He said that it presents a wrong picture about Sri Lanka to the international community and depicted the LTTE as an innocent heroic organization.
September 12th, 2013 at 3:41 am
MR has no backbone to do what JR did and will pay a VERY heavy price. !
MR is not willing to pay heavy price !!! what JR paid from 1983 to 2009 !!!
but MR have right vision for united Sri Lanka !
Verrii in sinnam Veththilai sinsam !!! wait & see 21st !
TNA will be minority Govt this time , next election TNA will be out of business like in EP !!!
September 12th, 2013 at 5:13 am
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) of Tamil Nadu’s Sri Lanka cat’s paw is ITAK (Illankai tamil arasu kachchi). ITAK created TULF and TULF created the LTTE and LTTE created TNA.
DMK’s main dream is to create a tamil state in northern Sri Lanka. This is nothing other than tamil expansionism. That was the reason DMK trained LTTE terrorists militarily. In 2009 May 18th DMK’s high hopes shaded after Velupillai’s death at Nandikadal lagoon. But at this moment TNA is trying their best to achieve DMK’s dream through PC election.
September 12th, 2013 at 5:57 am
Lorenzo,
Two important points :
* President JRJ passed a Constitutional Amendment against Separatism in 1983. As the internet states : “He (JRJ) also passed a Constitutional Amendment barring from Parliament any MP who supported Separatism; this effectively eliminated the main opposition party, the Tamil United Liberation Front”. This Amendment is still in force.
* President MR had to go to WAR with the ltte terrorists in May 2009, for the same reason i.e. Tamil Separatism.
What can we see from these two events ? That Tamil Separatism continues, no matter what was/is done. Why is this when more than half the Tamils of Sri Lanka lives in out of the North, and lives among the Sinhala people and others in the South and other areas ? And sector for sector, Tamils are better off than their counterparts in other ethnic/religious groups.
What can we learn from these two events ? That no matter what is done for Tamils of Lanka, the Tamil leaders, whatever form they come in, either under the Democratic cloak or as Terrorists, want SEPARATISM. They are always LED to Tamil Separatism by some Tamil Nadu politicos (as Sri Rohana says), as well as some foreign countries.
Why SEPARATISM ? Because they are really intent on solving the Tamil Nadu Caste/poverty problem, Tamil Nadu expansionism, and bow to foreign powers to do so. They are not interested in the welfare of Sri Lankans. They are treacherous to Lanka in their thoughts and actions. They merely want to USE Lanka and her People for their purposes. Till their thought patterns change to one of loyalty to Sri Lanka, the Law of the land has to handle the problem.
Handle the Tamil Separatist problem in the Courts & Parliament each time the problem surfaces. There is no other way. It is an ongoing problem for Sri Lanka.
Also, deport all Tamil illegal migrants and do not depend on Tamil Labor. Mechanise & Modernise Labor in all areas, particularly the plantations sector. Introduce an Oath of Allegiance to Sri Lanka, in all public and private institutions, schools especially.
Singing the National Anthem is not enough.
September 12th, 2013 at 6:06 am
Regarding LAND in the North, one of the contentious issues raised by the TNA, Basil Rajapakse, said :
There was no land grab so far during President Rajapaksa’s government in the Jaffna Peninsula – Minister Basil Rajapaksa
Wed, 2013-09-11 11:19 — editor
By K.T.Rajasingham
Colombo, 11 September, (Asiantribune.com):
Not an inch of land has been grabbed in the Jaffna Peninsula after November 2005 – under the presidency of Mahinda Rajapaksa, pointed out Basil Rajapaksa.
In a media meet held yesterday at Jaffna, at the Green Grass Hotel Auditorium, Minister for Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa assured that the Northern Provincial Council Election will be free and fair, without the interference of the Army and allayed the fears and concerns of the media personnel who raised this issue.
When responding to a question about the land issue in the Peninsula, Minister Basil Rajapaksa traced the history of the land acquisition. He said it dated back to the period of the Indian Peace Keeping Forces (IPKF).
Minister clarified that it was the IPKF who started the acquisition of lands in the Peninsula. He added following the land acquisition by IPKF, it was followed by acquiring lands under Emergency Regulations and under various laws and regulations.
When the Minister told that initially lands were acquired by the Indian Peace Keeping Forces, a journalist took exception.
But Asian Tribune Editor who was one of the media person present at the Press Meet, strongly agreed with the Minister and said most of the journalists who were present in the Press Meet were either not born when the IPKF forcefully took over the lands from the Jaffna civilians or they were toddlers and they were not aware of such forceful appropriation of lands by the IPKF.
When speaking on the Land Issue Minister Basil Rajapaks said this Government would follow the law to the very alphabet and lands if it is needed for development purposes and for security reasons would be taken over by informing the owners of the intention of taking over such land, legal notices would be sent, gazetted and arrangements would be made to pay compensation to such lands according to the value of the intended land that will be taken over by the Government.
Minister Basil Rajapaksa when further responding to a media person’s question as to when the lands belonging to the Vali North people would be returned , he said that Government under Mahinda Rajapaksa has already started giving back lands that are not needed for any government purposes to the rightful owners.
He further said that recently the Election Commissioner has contacted him and pointed out that handing back lands to the owners during the Northern Provincial Council elections constitute violation of election laws and request to desist from handing over lands during the elections. Minister said that returning of lands would continue after 21st September, after the polling to the Northern Provincial Council.
In the meantime Asian Tribune Editor brought to the notice of the Minister that there are more than 2000 acres of Government land available in the Vallai Veli, very close to Palaly and that land could be made use for the construction of an Airport and those lands lie very close proximity to Palaly and the airport too can be called as Palaly.
Minister Basil Rajapaksa said the suggestion of put forward by Editor Asian Tribune has to be studied and actions may be taken in the near future for the same.
Minister continued to explain that the Hhigh Security Zone was erected in the Peninsula due to 30 years of war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and it was mooted initially by the Indian Peace Keeping Forces.
He added after their (IPKF) return to Indi and those appropriated lands were not returned back to the people.
However, he said, the appropriated lands for High Security Zone were not returned back by any of the previous governments . But he said after 2005 during the Presidency of Mahinda Rajapaksa not an inch of land has been taken over.
He went on to say that after 2009, the Government has taken measures to gradually return the lands back to people back.
Minister pointed out that lands were continuously appropriated for important projects not only in the North but also in the South.
Already many blocs of lands have been taken over in Endaramula located in the Gampaha district for the construction of the Colombo – Jaffna Expressway. He said that the people of Endaramulla of course are not going to be benefited by the construction of an Expressway, but the people in the Jaffna Peninsula would greatly benefit.
Similarly in Sampur in the East, lands are being acquired for the construction of a coal based Power plant to be constructed by India and agreement for the same with India has been signed way back in 1987.
Therefore, he appealed that appropriation lands for the welfare of the people should not be made an ethnic issue and ethnic color should not be painted and tainted.
Minister Basil Rajapaksa reminded that during the last Pradeshiya Sabah election time, the Tamil National Alliance in its election campaign said that they could develop the North without any assistance and help from the Sri Lanka Government.
He said it was unfortunate that elected TNA Pradeshiya Sabah Councilors were unable to do any development works even with the funds allocated by the government.
He brought to the notice of the media persons that two years ago he spent Rs. 500 million to construct the Chavakachcheri Pradeshiya Sabah building and up to date, it was unfortunate he said, that the completed building was not even declared open by the TNA controlled Pradeshiya Sabah.
When I last visited Chavakachcheri, Minister Basil Rajapaksa said, I found the Fish Market in a very bad condition and I found that it needed urgent renovation. After my visit to the fish market, I provided funds for the same. Unfortunately even today the condition of that fish market remains the same.
When the TNA Pradeshya Sabah Councilors were unable to do any development activities, there is no guarantee that a Provincial Council under the Tamil National Alliance would be able do anything to the people of the North.
Minister Basil Rajapakse says the election manifesto presented by the TNA is not aimed at the northern provincial council election. It is aimed to create a conflict between the public in north and the south.
He said, the TNA tries to arouse racial feelings of the southern people and create a terror situation in the country again. It is another attempt to point out the election internationally as a one that could be used to gain the right to self-governance.
Minister Basil pointed out that it was pity that TNA was unable come up with a Chief Minister candidate – one from the nearly 495 ,000 voters in the Jaffna Peninsula.
He said that he tried to find the address of the TNA candidate in the North voters register and there was no listing of Mr. Vigneswaran’s name.
He said that when he checked the voters list of Colombo Central, he found at 16 C Cambridge Terrace, Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo 7 the name of Gnanasabapathy Viswalingham Vigneswaran.
He added that Vigneswaran is one of the elites living in a place like Cinnamon Gardens. How he can understand the problems of an ordinary Tamil of the North, Minister Basil asked.
Therefore he added The people of the North should take all these things into consideration and the public of the north should cast their vote to the UPFA if they want to fulfill their expectations.
September 12th, 2013 at 6:35 am
The Question right now is :
Have the TNA the right to attract Tamil voters through Separatist ideologies ?
September 12th, 2013 at 4:43 pm
What does “GOSL will not Accept TNA PC Election Manifesto” MEAN?
Only “REGRET” … My God such PUSILLANIMITY in the face of TREASON against the Nation.
Will the GOSL 1. declare TNA Candidacy in the Election to be NULL & VOID, 2. ARREST, PROSECUTE, CONVICT and PUNISH the TNA Leaders for TREASON?, and 3. PROSCRIBE the TNA (and the ITAK, and the constituent parties of the ITAK) as an Organization allowed to engage in POLITICS in Sri Lanka?
Or is this ALL SMOKE and NO FIRE to fool the voters of Sri Lanka AGAIN?
The GOSL should ACT NOW and ACT DECISIVELY to PUNISH TRAITORS and ERADICATE TREASON!
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Sri Lankan government not to accept the Tamil party election manifesto
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Sept 12, Colombo: The Sri Lankan government says it cannot accept the election manifesto of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) for the Northern Provincial Council.
Cabinet Spokesperson, Minister Keheliya Rambukwella told a news conference that the government regrets the contents of the TNA election manifesto.
He said that the government could not accept the manifesto as it contravenes the Constitution of the country.
In its election manifesto, the TNA, once considered as a proxy for the terrorist group LTTE during the war, has called for establishing power sharing arrangements in a unit of a merged Northern and Eastern Provinces based on a Federal structure.
According to Rambukwella, there are attempts by some groups to initiate legal action against the TNA manifesto to get a restraining order against it before the Northern Provincial Council election this month.
Sri Lanka Lawyers’ Guild said they will file a case in the Supreme Court against the TNA’s election manifesto as it was against the Constitution of the country since the proclamation of self-rule in the manifesto is a violation of the Sri Lanka Constitution.
The TNA says the manifesto emphasizes the political aspirations of the Tamils, while upholding the integrity of the country.
TNA parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran said the party’s election manifesto while being prepared to uphold the right of self-determination of the Tamils would also preserve the integrity of the country.
September 12th, 2013 at 5:16 pm
Fran,
“JR also passed a Constitutional Amendment barring from Parliament any MP who supported Separatism; this effectively eliminated the main opposition party, the Tamil United Liberation Front”. This Amendment is still in force.”
Not really true.
JR IMPLEMENTED it, not just passed it.
That is what matters.
MR does NOT implement it. Coward.
This is why JR was GREAT in 1983 and MR is JUNK in 2013. Mind you, we haven’t seen the full TNA circus yet!!
September 12th, 2013 at 5:18 pm
“There was no land grab so far during President Rajapaksa’s government in the Jaffna Peninsula – Minister Basil Rajapaksa”
That IS the problem!
Tamils grabbed land from Sinhalese in 1977 and from Muslims in 1990. No counter measure to CORRECT it.
I can’t wait to see Basil’s POKER FACE when loses like loosemotion on September 22.
Why can’t they see the OBVIOUS?
September 13th, 2013 at 3:59 am
Please look at this news item :
* Sri Lankan government not to accept the Tamil party election manifesto
Thu, Sep 12, 2013, 08:11 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Sept 12, Colombo: The Sri Lankan government says it cannot accept the election manifesto of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) for the Northern Provincial Council.
Cabinet Spokesperson, Minister Keheliya Rambukwella told a news conference that the government regrets the contents of the TNA election manifesto.
He said that the government could not accept the manifesto as it contravenes the Constitution of the country.
In its election manifesto, the TNA, once considered as a proxy for the terrorist group LTTE during the war, has called for establishing power sharing arrangements in a unit of a merged Northern and Eastern Provinces based on a Federal structure.
According to Rambukwella, there are attempts by some groups to initiate legal action against the TNA manifesto to get a restraining order against it before the Northern Provincial Council election this month.
Sri Lanka Lawyers’ Guild said they will file a case in the Supreme Court against the TNA’s election manifesto as it was against the Constitution of the country since the proclamation of self-rule in the manifesto is a violation of the Sri Lanka Constitution.
The TNA says the manifesto emphasizes the political aspirations of the Tamils, while upholding the integrity of the country.
TNA parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran said the party’s election manifesto while being prepared to uphold the right of self-determination of the Tamils would also preserve the integrity of the country”.
In this instance, we have to look at the INTENT of the party concerned, the TNA. Is the INTENT to safeguard & nurture the Tamil people ? NO. The INTENT is SEPARATISM. The INTENT of the TNA actually endangers the Tamil people by creating mistrust and disharmony.
When something smells like skunk (Urulawa), looks like skunk and acts like skunk, we certainly have to assume it IS Skunk !