CWC - UNP talks commence on forming alliance

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 February 2004, 14:55 GMT]
The Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) said Wednesday that it has commenced talks with the United National Party to forge an alliance to face the forthcoming general election, which is scheduled to be held on April 2. The CWC is a constituent of the United National Front government.

CWC Vice President, Mr.R.Yogarajan, addressing a press briefing, said that talks with the UNP leaders are centred on several demands, including the upliftment of the estate population's living conditions, the development of education, solving their housing problems and providing employment opportunities on ethnic ratio.

A CWC delegation led by its leader, Mr.Arumugam Thondaman, met with the Prime Minister, Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe, soon after the dissolution of parliament and discussed in detail the problems the plantation sector has been facing currently, sources said.

Mr.Yogarajan told newspersons that the CWC delegation is scheduled to have a second round of talks with the Prime Minister Thursday.

Mr.Yogarajan said the CWC has rejected the request made by the Upcountry Peoples' Front leader and Minister, Mr.P.Chandrasekaran, to form a grand Tamil alliance with the Tamil political parties of the Northeast, saying such an alliance would not be effective in the hill country, sources said.