Depriving Pillaiyan of Chief Ministership:

TNA's Jaffna mentality

by K. T. Rajasingham

The Tamil National Alliance has decided to contest in the Eastern Provincial Council Election with a 'one line agenda' to see Pillaiyan not getting the Chief Minister position. This is their "Jaffna mentality" and they don't want the emergence of a Batticaloa Tamil leadership, said Sivanesathurai Chandirakanthan alias Pillaiyan.

"I will be contesting the Provincial Council elections in the UPFA ticket leading the Tamil candidates to win back the second term," said Chandirakanthan, the outgoing Chief Minister of the Eastern Province.

He said that his party is not bothered about the Tamil National Alliance contesting and dividing the Tamil voters in the East, as the people are fully aware of the 'Jaffna mentality' and their domineering political approach.

He said that TNA are presently behind filing cases regarding dissolving the Eastern Provincial Council. As there were no binding orders from any courts to prevent me from requesting the Governor to dissolve the Council , hence I signed papers and requested the Governor to dissolve the council.

The outgoing Chief Minister said, "I think either the TNA leader or the TNA stalwarts, not fully conversant with the working of the Provincial Council.

He further said, "Take for instance when one member comes up with an urgent matter for discussion in the floor of the house, then according to the standing orders of the Council that request has to be acceded based on the currency and the urgency of the issue proposed to be raised by a said Councilor.

Also after the discussion there will not be a division of the house.

Other day, three Councilors came forward with an urgent topic for discussion and as all the three has proposed to raise the same issue, the Council took up Councilor Somasundaram Pusparajah's matter and it was taken up for discussion.

Accordingly, he informed the Council that there are news items in the media about the dissolving of the Provincial Council. He said,' I am proposing this as an urgent matter based on the news items appearing in the media, as the council has one more year life period left and it could be construed as an undemocratic act, if we come forward to dissolve the council at this stage'.

He said, 'therefore kindly take up this matter with the President and see that the full lifetime of the council is completed.

In conclusion I said that I will convey the views expressed in this Council to the President. That's all.

In fact there was no unanimous resolution adopted as alleged by the TNA Leaders.

Subsequently they claimed that a unanimous resolution was resolved requesting not to dissolve the Council prior to the expiry of the life term.

The records of the resolution are available with the Council in words as well as in tapes.

Furthermore, according to the laws of the Council when the Chief Minister request the Council be dissolved, then Governor shall to dissolve the council.

According to my observation TNA is very particular not to hold the Provincial Council elections. This is the 'Jaffna mentality' of the TNA leaders. Sumanthiran as well as Mavai Senathirajah are leading the opposition against holding the Provincial Council elections. They are very particular that there should not emerge a Tamil leadership from the East.

When asked about his election arrangements he said that he has sought nominations for 7 Tamil candidates in the Batticaloa district, 3 in Trincomalee and 3 in the Ampara district.

Courtesy: Asian Tribune