CWC will support Kumaratunga's government - Thondaman

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 September 2004, 08:39 GMT]
The Ceylon Workers' Congress (CWC) said Friday it would support President Chandrika Kumaratunga's United People's Freedom Front (UPFA), ending months of uncertainty over the future of her minority government. Mr. Arumugan Thondaman, leader of the CWC, said that his party's eight MPs will support the UPFA on issues from the ranks of the opposition. He said CWC will support the UPFA government without any conditions, to help it take forward the peace process. UPFA has 106 members in the 225 seat Sri Lankan Parliament, 7 short of the simple majority to run a stable government.

Mr. Thondaman was addressing a press conference at the Trans Asia Hotel in Colombo Friday.

Asked about the stand of the Sinhala Nationalist Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna's (JVP) hardline stand on the ethnic issue, Mr. Thondaman said that it is a matter to be sorted out by the ruling coalition.

He said that his grandfather who led the CWC until his death four years ago had proposed an interim administration run by the Tigers, referring to the LTTE's proposal for an Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA).

Sources close to the CWC said that Mr. Thondaman is seeking important cabinet portfolios in the UPFA government.

CWC will decide later on taking cabinet portfolios, the sources said.