Majority parties oppose NE merger

by P. Krishnaswamy

Several political parties representing the North and East, including the parties that have joined the deliberations of the Tamil Political Parties Forum (TPPF) on the constitutional reforms rejected as unrealistic and unpractical stance of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) insisting on the unification of the two provinces as a pre-requisite for resolving the Tamil question.

Most of the nine political parties that joined the TPPF deliberations rejected the TNA stance as unacceptable and unpractical on account of the current successful PC administration in the Eastern province, the massive development projects that have been launched and the atmosphere peace and communal harmony that now prevail. The TPPF is holding deliberations in an effort to forge a uniform stance with regard to a political solution to the Tamil question, speedy resettlement of IDPs and the constitutional amendments that are in the offing.

The TNA led by R. Sampanthan MP, the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) led by Rauff Hakeem MP, the All Ceylon Muslim Congress (ACMC) led by Minister Rishad Bathuideen and the National Congress (NC) led by Minister A. L. M. Athaullah are parties that are yet to join the TPPF deliberations.SLMC General Secretary M. T. Hasan Ali said that they were only insisting on a separate unit of devolution for the Muslim community of the North and East and not the merger of the two provinces.

Both NC leader Minister Athaullah and ACMC national organiser and Deputy Minister M. L. A. M. Hisbullah who represent the Eastern province said that they were strongly opposed to the merger of the two provinces from the beginning and the stance of the TNA was absurd and unrealistic in the context of the current political scenerio.