‘No dissension in party’:

TNA leader refutes media reports

by P. Krishnaswamy

TNA leader Rajavarodhayam Sampanthan refuted media reports that dissension was brewing within the party after his recent disclaimer on the party’s ‘sole representative status’ on behalf of the Tamils of the North and the East.

Adopting a milder approach, he said that they are now in the process of holding talks with the Government and looked forward to a reasonable solution ‘within a unitary Sri Lanka’.

Moving away from the other party frontliners’ oft-publicised stance that they were the sole representatives of the Tamils, Sampanthan told the Sunday Observer that they never claimed to be sole representatives of the Tamil community but they only reiterated that they commanded the overwhelming support and mandate of the community and that the international community looked up to them to negotiate on behalf of the Tamils.

Party members are unanimous in this stance and there is no question of dissensions whatsoever, and all reports to the contrary are sheer media speculation, he said.

When asked whether the party was content after the Government took prompt steps to conduct inquiries to bring to book those responsible for the attack on TNA parliamentarians at their meeting at Alaveddy, Jaffna, he said that they were waiting to see justice done to them in the matter.

Commenting on the appointment of a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) for further deliberations on evolving a political solution to the Tamil question, he said that they were not consulted or invited so far and, therefore, he was unable to comment on it at present.