Minority parties back Sampanthan

by P. Krishnaswamy

While contentions over whether TNA Leader R.Sampanthan should be appointed as Opposition Leader or not still remains unresolved and different views being put forward to the Speaker of the House, the Sunday Observer contacted leaders of political parties representing the minority communities for their views on the matter.

They expressed mixed views, many of them supporting the appointment of TNA leader R.Sampanthan as the opposition leader, others opposed it on various grounds. TNA MP and Party Spokesman Suresh Premachandran's views were also obtained.

Excerpts of their views:

M.T.Hasan Ali, State Minister of Health and Indigenous Medicine and General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) : TNA leader R.Sampanthan is the most eligible opposition leader as he commands the support of 10 parliamentarians. He should be appointed to the post

honouring Parliamentary traditions without any communal prejudice. He is a senior political leader, a senior lawyer and a balanced person.

The leader of the SLFP, which is the main constituent of the UPFA, is the President of the country and how is it possible for the SLFP to hold the post of opposition leader as well ? We have got a President who is the most

ideal and exemplary leader of a national government who has no communal, religious or racial outlooks whatsoever. His example should be followed.

Mano Ganeshan, leader of the Democratic People's Front (DPF): The UPFA is now a part of the government - the SLFP and the other constituents.

They are in the cabinet . The President of the SLFP is the President of the country. Parliamentarians Dinesh Gunawardena and Wimal Weerawansa are constituents of the UPFA and they contested the last Parliamentary elections on

the UPFA tickets and they have a collective responsibility. Rightfully, they cannot demand or claim the post of opposition leader for themselves or for anyone they are proposing. If they want to do so, they should first quit the UPFA alliance and if they do so they will be justified in demanding the opposition leader's post. As of now it is either the TNA Leader or the JVP

Leader. The TNA Leader commands the largest number of members. Honouring Parliamentary traditions is of paramount importance.

Suresh Premachandran, TNA MP and spokesman: According to Parliamentary traditions, the leader of the largest opposition party should get the post of the opposition leader. Under the last regime when the UPFA formed the government , the incumbent PM Ranil Wickramasinghe was the opposition leader. Now the UPFA, SLFP being its main constituent, has formed the national government. As such they are not justified in asking for the post of opposition leader as well.

The TNA is the largest party in the opposition with 10 members. Petitions have been submitted to the Speaker, signed by 58 UPFA parliamentarians, requesting parliamentarian Dinesh

Gunawardene to be appointed as the opposition leader. This is unfair because he, and Parliamentarian Wimal Weerawansa, contested elections on UPFA tickets. Of the four parties in the opposition as of now, the TNA as a single party has the largest majority. Parliamentary traditions should not be changed according to whims and fancies of opportunistic politicians.

V.Radhakrishnan, State Minister of Education and political leader of the Up-Country People's Front (UPF): It is not possible for a politician belonging to any of the minority communities to become either the President or the Prime Minister of this country. What they can get is only the post of the opposition leader, if eligible. If attempts are made even to prevent it, we cannot be party to it. We want the opposition leader's post being given to TNA Leader R.Sampanthan, if he is eligible to it, honouring parliamentary traditions, because it will pave the way for new political culture after long years of conflict and turbulence.