The Tamil National Alliance and the Tamil National Peoples Front have urged the Tamil speaking people in the Western Province to support Wickramabahu Karunaratne and Mano Ganesan of the Democratic National Front (DNF) in the civic elections in the South. While Selvam Adaikalanathan and Mavai Senathiraja of the TNA in their speeches have urged the Tamil speaking population in Colombo to back Dr. Vickrmabahu and Mr. Mano Ganeshan, Mr. Gajendrakumar Ponnampalam and Selvaraja Kajendren of the TNPF came out with a statement urging the Tamils to back the courageous leaders of the DNF who have been openly expressing support to Tamils Right to Self-Determination at a time when some individuals of Tamil parties claiming to represent Tamils were displaying dubious conduct on the fundamental principles of Tamil Nation.
Mr. Mano Ganeshan is the mayoral candidate for Colombo and Dr. Wickramabahu Karunaratne, contesting on the DNF ticket, is the mayoral candidate for Dehiwela Mount Lavinia in the civic elections.
Although the TNA has decided to back Bahu and Mano and Mr. Selvam Adaikalanathan and Mavai Senathirajah have voiced in public expressing support, a confusion prevailed till Thursday as to why the TNA has been reluctant in issuing a statement. Sources close to influential circles within the TNA said the key leaders were avoiding “controversial” statements at a time New Delhi was exerting pressure on the TNA to talk with the Rajapaksa regime.
However, when journalists contacted the parliamentary group leader R. Sampanthan of the TNA on Thursday to clarify the TNA stand, Mr. Sampanthan admitted that the TNA had taken a unanimous decision to back Bahu and Mano.
Supporting Mano Ganesan and Wickramabahu Karunaratne is the moral responsibility of the Tamils, according to Selvam Adaikkalanathan of the TNA.
6,488 candidates contest for the 420 seats in the 23 civic bodies including 17 Municipal Councils and 5 Piratheasa Chapais (PS). The civic elections for the 23 local bodies will be held on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Tamil National Alliance is contesting the elections being held to the Kalmunai Municipal council.
Mr. Sampanthan, in a statement issued on Wednesday said: “Even though our strength within the Area may not enable us to capture power we have the capacity to perform well and make a useful contribution to the well being of all people in the said area.”
Mr. Sampanthan in his statement underlining the basis of the acceptance of Democracy, Fundamental Human Rights, Inclusiveness, Equality and Justice, said that “when the Tamil people exercise their franchise they must vote strongly in support of the above tenets as being the basis upon which there can be an acceptable resolution of the National Question, and confer on them the status of equal citizens.”
While Mr. Sampanthan harps on only “equal citizenship” as solution for the National Question in lines of the thinking of certain sections of the Indian establishment, Dr. Wickramabahu Karunaratne and Mr. Mano Ganeshan firmly stand for Tamil Right to Self-Determination.
PDF: TNA statement, 05 October 2011
PDF: TNPF statement, 03 October 2011
(For updates you can share with your friends, follow TNN on Facebook and Twitter )