TNA to boycott Batticaloa local polls

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 January 2008, 16:32 GMT]
Parliamentarians of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), in a parliamentary group meeting held Wednesday, unanimously agreed to boycott elections to nine local authorities in the Batticaloa district. Mr. R.Sampanthan, President of the TNA parliamentary group presided over the meeting.

The TNA earlier filed fundamental rights petitions in the Supreme Court seeking the postponement of the local elections in Batticaloa district on the grounds that the security situation is not conducive to hold free and fair elections.

But later the TNA withdrew its FR petition when the Supreme Court informed that it has no authority to postpone these elections but it is prepared to consider application later if there was threat to hold free and fair election.