UNP 'undermining TNA'

UNP 'undermining TNA'

By P Sivaramakrishnan BBC Tamil service     War of words have broken out between the UNP and the TNA The largest Tamil party in parliament the Tamil National Alliance(TNA) has accused the main oppostion party in Sri Lanka, United National Party(UNP) of undermining its political inidividuality, the TNA General Secretary has told the BBC Tamil Service. War of words have broken out between the TNA and UNP over the nomination of the TNA MP Sumanthiran to the parliament council by the leader of the opposition. The nomination was immediately rejected by the TNA. UNP leader Ranil Wikramasinghe then went on record saying that he nominated the TNA MP knowing well they would reject it. "This is undermining the political individualtiy of the TNA" Selvam Adaikalanathan, one of the General Secertaries of the TNA told BBC Tamilosai. Cooperation for development Sumanthiran's nomination was done by the opposition leader without consulting either him or his party says the TNA General Secretary.  We respect Ranil as leader of the oppostion, however we don’t approve of any acitivities aimed at weakening us   Selvam Adaikalanathan, MP According the controversial 18 th amendment to the Sri Lankan consitituion which was passed by the parliamemt a few days ago, a five member parliament council which will recommend heads of organisations like Election Commission, Judicial Commission, Human Rights Commission, Police Commission, Public commission and others However the President can either accept or reject it . The five member Parliament council including the speaker, prime minister, leader of the oppostion and one member nominated by the PM and oppostion leader. "We voted against the 18 th amendment along with the JVP while the UNP boycotted the voting" points out Selvam Adaikalanathan. "That being the case nominating a MP from our party is undermining the our individuality," argues the TNA General Secretary. The TNA aslo wants "Ranil Wikramasinghe to stop such activities in future". "We respect Ranil as leader of the oppostion, however we don’t approve of any acitivities aimed at weakening us", Selvam Adaikalanathan further said. The TNA had made it clear to the President that it will cooperate with him in all aspects of welfare activities of the Tamil people says Adaikalanathan cautioning at the same time that, the TNA will continue to oppose the government on anti people policies. Selvam Adaikalanathan also points out that "till date the government has not placed any concrete proposals regarding political solution to the decades long ethnic conflict" in spite of the fact that the TNA has assured to discuss with the government on such proposals. He also told the Tamil Service that the local citizens of mannar district have urged the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) to have a sitting in mannar so that the locals there will also have a chance to voice their opinion. The LLRC after hearing the views of the residents in Killinochi for two days is going the Mullaitheevu for the people to testify before them. The years long civil war came to an end in May 2009 when the LTTE was militarily defeated and its leader Prabakarans body was found on the banks of the Nandikadal lagoon in the Mullaitheevu district.

Discussion on MP Sumanthiran's Speech on 18th Amendment

Discussion

(Article: MP Sumanthiran's Speech on 18th Amendment)

Ram Mohan (13 Sep. 2010)

This is the most excellent contribution to Parliamentary Debate (or was it a lecture since there was no arguments from the other side) for quite a long time. This shows that Tamil cause is not short of force of arguments as was in the case of arguments of force. In fact it was when I listened to his speech that I learnt that even the 13th amendment is cremated by the 18th amendment and that in itself is an unannounced matter. In fact the 18th Amendment is the cremation of democracy that was still born or disabled in Sri Lanka right from the beginning and killed quite sometime ago at least as far back in 1978 if not in 1972. By the 18th Amendment, Mahinda has drawn the lines very clear and said in no uncertain terms that there is no room for any more talks and as a corollary, there is room only for action. Let us all understand that clearly in determining our future course. In fact I was angry that the big guns of the TNA like Sampanthan, Sritharan and Yogeswaran were out of the country at this critical time but later consoled myself that if they were in Colombo, then Sumanthiran would not have got this chance to highlight the truth since none of the others had the bravery if not the ability to do a similar performance. I was very pleased to hear at the concluding stage of the talk that the TNA could have but did not compromise for short term gains to the Tamil community. It is a good lesson to those in the Diaspora who keep saying that we should concentrate on giving aid to the suffering people without antagonising the GOSL or their foreign backers. Aas pointed out on several occasions, the real struggle will start again in the homeland and by that time the Diaspora should have organised the International Public opinion in favour of our people instead of forming governments without territory or such futile exercises.

Secy. (14 Sep. 2010)

CORRECTION: Hon. M A Sumanthiran, MP.

Anonymous (14 Sep. 2010)

Tamils have produced great orators but from my experience sinhalese grudgingly admire the intellectual guts and oratory of any tamil like Amirthalingahm. I spoke against sinhala only policy among sinhalese only audience.That was in 1975.Tamils as a nation has been cruelly reduced to tamils as living with no dignity by cruel deception by the vested interested nations and tamils need the likes of Sumanthan wherever they may be.

An MP should be able to articulate the plight of vanni tamils plights of displaced tamils and grabbing of land for so called non existence threat of future war in jaffna and the urgent need to end white van menace,raping and killing of innovcent as well as increasing accidents where lot of tamils get killed on roads.

There is no point in president accumulating more and more powers while preaching parliametary democracy where parliament is supreme and powerful and not the president himself,now behaving and looking like sandam hussain in appearance and menace.

Anonymous (14 Sep. 2010)

I suggest all lawyers read Rule of Law by Lord Bingham, who passed away on 11sept.2010.He was considered the greatest legal mind of the current generation and at school ,he was the brightest student for over 100 years.Unlike in sl ,where he would have done engineering or medicine, he did history at oxford and later bar.

Keeran / Cologne, Germany (14 Sep. 2010)

Thank you Mr. Sumenthiran for speaking up against all these bunch of criminals.