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| Sunday, 9 October 2005 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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CWC remains
loyal to UNP, Ranil
by S. S. Varani
Ceylon Workers' Congress Leader Arumugan Thondaman broke his silence at last. At a press conference held in Colombo, Arumugan Thondaman said that his party had decided to support Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe at the forthcoming Presidential election. However, he did not fail to shower praise on the government of the UPFA for its services to the upcountry people. "We have been in the government of Her Excellency Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and we wish to place on record our gratitude for her actions towards the development of plantations and the Indian Tamil Community. We also wish to acknowledge the cooperation extended and cordiality shown to us by the Prime Minister and his cabinet colleagues, in serving the plantation community as a part of the government," the CWC statement read by Arumugan Thondaman said. The CWC had submitted 19 proposals to Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse and the Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and held talks individually with them. Both the candidates agreed to implement the proposals. However, Thondaman said his party finally decided to support Ranil Wickremesinghe. One of the 19 proposals was that the community development function of the Estate Infrastructure and Community Development Ministry should be implemented through Savumiamoorthy Thondaman Memorial Foundation, which is headed by Arumugan Thondaman, and allocations should be made to implement a three-year development plan prepared by the Ministry. At the press conference Thondaman said the issue of Upper Kotmale was a `closed subject'. The CWC was undecided for a long time and had several deliberations with its members on whom it should support at the Presidential polls. The CWC was dragged into controversy after UNP Parliamentarian T. Maheswaran in a TV interview referred to CWC's alleged financial dealings with a national party. The pro-Thondaman Tamil weekly Sunday Virakesari, on September 25 claimed that an upcountry political party had struck a 150 million-rupee deal with a national party to support its candidate at the presidential poll. It said that the leader would get 30 million while other leaders 20 million rupees each. It said that it was the practice of the upcountry political parties to go for money during elections and intellectuals were worried about such deals. Although the paper did not mention about the CWC, its leaders at various meetings said their party could not be bought over. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse allocated nearly 80 million rupees to repair more than 100 estate roads, under Maganeguma Rural Development Project. The funds had already been sent to the Central Province's Chief Secretary. The breakaway section of the Upcountry People's Front led by Provincial Councillors S. Arulsamy and P. Dhihambaram met the Prime Minister and extended their support to him. They requested the Prime Minister to repair the estate roads. Arulsamy was sacked by UPF Leader P. Chandrasekeran for supporting the Prime Minister. Arulsamy said that Dhihambaram and he had opened a political secretariat in Talawakelle to serve the people and another office would be opened in Hatton next week. A second meeting between the Prime Minister and Arulsamy took place on October 5, at Temple Trees. |
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