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| Sunday, 25 September 2005 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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UPF's CPC members to support Mahinda : Chandrasekeran faces challenge by S. S. Warani
The Upcountry People's Front (UPF) plunged into deep internal crisis as differences among the leadership sharpened. The Administrative Secretary of the UPF S. Arulsamy was sacked recently from his post by the party leader P. Chandrasekeran and wrote to all the UPF branches not to have any dealings with the Administrative Secretary. Arulsamy had challenged the dismissal and said that he would resort to legal action, with a grim reminder that he had been holding the post for the past three years. Arulsamy alleged that his right to defend himself had been violated by the leadership as he was dismissed without any inquiry. Central Provincial Councillors Arulsamy and P. Dhigambaram met Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse, a fortnight ago and pledged their support to him at the presidential poll. Founder member, former Central Provincial Council Member and UPF Secretary General M. Sivalingam was removed from his post in April this year and an acting Secretary had been appointed in his place, on the pretext that Sivalingam was under medical treatment in India. Sivalingam, on his return, found that he was marginalised. The internal strife had become an open battle after dissidents and the leadership issued statements to the press accusing each other. At a meeting of the apex body held in Talawakelle last week none of the dissidents attended. Arulsamy said that he would not change his position of supporting the Prime Minister at the presidential elections. With the internal crisis taking an upper hand, the UPF is unable to take a decision on the presidential poll. Chandrasekeran's proposal to field a common candidate did not receive any positive response from other trade unions and Tamil political parties. The Joint Plantation Trade Union Centre, an umbrella organisation of several plantation trade unions, which met in Kandy on Sept.17 failed to forge a unanimous decision on the presidential election. After a lengthy discussion followed by arguments it was decided that each trade union could decide on its own whom it should support. The Ceylon Worker's Congress put forward 19 demands to Prime Minister
Mahinda Rajapakse and the Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe early last
week. CWC Vice President R. Yogarajan said his party met the presidential
candidates on Sept. 21 and had discussed the demands. |
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