The coalition of Sri Lanka’s four largest Tamil parties, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), which at the last minute announced its intention to contest in the NorthEast the forthcoming local government polls, even won one electorate as it was the only party to nominate candidates there.
The TNA’s participation was in doubt given the extraordinary violence that has gripped parts of the Northeast in the past few months, violence which ended last month when the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers agreed to talks on stabilising the fraying February 2002 ceasefire.
In the April 2004 in Parliamentary elections, the TNA swept the Tamil dominated Northeast, contesting on a platform of supporting the LTTE and their proposal for an interim administration.
The TNA, which is competing at the polls under the banner of the Illankai Thamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) was the only party contesting for the Verugal Pradeshiya Sabha, in the Trincomalee District and was elected uncontested, the District Returning Officer K. G. Leelananda said.
The newly created Verugal local authority is located in the LTTE held Eachchilampathu divisional secretary division.
The Trincomalee District Assistant Commissioner of Elections has written to the General Secretary of ITAK requesting the nomination of two candidates for the post of Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Verugal Pradeshiya Sabha within seven days.
Nominations closed Thursday for the 270 Pradeshiya Sabhas, 42 Urban Councils and 18 Municipal Councils across the island. Elections to the other 269 councils are to be held on March 30.
ITAK is also fielding candidates in local authorities in Jaffna, Mannar and other parts of Trincomalee.
In Jaffna, ITAK is fielding Tamil and Muslim candidates, while in the Mannar administrative district, ITAK is to contest all the five local authorities, including one Urban Council and four Pradeshiya Sabhas.
“To show that Muslims and the Tamils have been living in harmony in the NorthEast and to further reinforce the amity between the two peoples we are competing on the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi ticket for the forthcoming Jaffna Municipal Council elections,” Moulavi S. M. Shahil and S. M .Suhair told a press conference in Jaffna Saturday afternoon.
“Several nefarious elements which are against finding a just and fair solution to the Tamil National question, are trying to create divisions between the Muslims and Tamils in the NorthEast. Our action here will derail such efforts and highlight to the International Community of the deep cultural affinity between the two peoples,” the candidates further.
The candidates added that they are satisfied at the efforts taken on the resettlement of the displaced Muslim people back in Jaffna, and that they reject the accusation that Tamil people and the movement have not taken active steps to facilitate speedy resettlement.
Three parties, ITAK, Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) and Peoples Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) are competing for the 23 seats for the Jaffna Municipal Council.
The TNA’s participation was in doubt given the extraordinary violence that has gripped parts of the Northeast in the past few months, violence which ended last month when the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers agreed to talks on stabilising the fraying February 2002 ceasefire.
In the April 2004 in Parliamentary elections, the TNA swept the Tamil dominated Northeast, contesting on a platform of supporting the LTTE and their proposal for an interim administration.
The TNA, which is competing at the polls under the banner of the Illankai Thamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) was the only party contesting for the Verugal Pradeshiya Sabha, in the Trincomalee District and was elected uncontested, the District Returning Officer K. G. Leelananda said.
The newly created Verugal local authority is located in the LTTE held Eachchilampathu divisional secretary division.
The Trincomalee District Assistant Commissioner of Elections has written to the General Secretary of ITAK requesting the nomination of two candidates for the post of Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Verugal Pradeshiya Sabha within seven days.
Nominations closed Thursday for the 270 Pradeshiya Sabhas, 42 Urban Councils and 18 Municipal Councils across the island. Elections to the other 269 councils are to be held on March 30.
ITAK is also fielding candidates in local authorities in Jaffna, Mannar and other parts of Trincomalee.
In Jaffna, ITAK is fielding Tamil and Muslim candidates, while in the Mannar administrative district, ITAK is to contest all the five local authorities, including one Urban Council and four Pradeshiya Sabhas.
“To show that Muslims and the Tamils have been living in harmony in the NorthEast and to further reinforce the amity between the two peoples we are competing on the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi ticket for the forthcoming Jaffna Municipal Council elections,” Moulavi S. M. Shahil and S. M .Suhair told a press conference in Jaffna Saturday afternoon.
“Several nefarious elements which are against finding a just and fair solution to the Tamil National question, are trying to create divisions between the Muslims and Tamils in the NorthEast. Our action here will derail such efforts and highlight to the International Community of the deep cultural affinity between the two peoples,” the candidates further.
The candidates added that they are satisfied at the efforts taken on the resettlement of the displaced Muslim people back in Jaffna, and that they reject the accusation that Tamil people and the movement have not taken active steps to facilitate speedy resettlement.
Three parties, ITAK, Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) and Peoples Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) are competing for the 23 seats for the Jaffna Municipal Council.
