In a significant shift, the Democratic Tamil National Alliance (DNA) has announced its decision to contest the upcoming parliamentary elections in Colombo, opting for the conch symbol instead of the traditional focus on the North-East. The announcement was made by senior member Suresh Premachandran during a media briefing held at his residence in Jaffna.
Premachandran emphasized that the DNA is a registered party that previously utilized the Kuthu Vilakku symbol. Reflecting on their electoral journey, he noted the collaborative framework established during the last presidential election, where the alliance nominated P. Ariyanenthiran as the common Tamil candidate. With the conch symbol, they garnered over 200,000 votes, marking a notable achievement in the previous electoral cycle.
To strengthen their position, the DNA, alongside Tamil parties and civil organizations, approached the Election Commission with a request to adopt the conch as their election symbol. The request, supported by a consensus from the General Assembly of Tamil parties and civil organizations, was accepted, allowing the alliance to move forward under the conch symbol in the forthcoming elections, he told reporters.
The announcement comes at a time when the Ilankai Arasu Tamil Katchi (ITAK), the largest political coalition representing Tamils in the North-East, is grappling with internal divisions among its constituent parties. The DNA's formation last year was a response to the need for a united front, especially as local elections are set to take place across the island.
The DNA consists of five key parties: the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO), People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE), Tamil National Party (TNP), Eelam People’s Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF), and the Crusaders for Democracy. These parties signed a memorandum of understanding agreeing to contest jointly in the previous local elections, emphasizing their commitment to collaborative governance.
