CWC, UPF to jointly contest local elections

[TamilNet, Monday, 30 January 2006, 17:03 GMT]
The Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) and Upcountry Peoples Front (UPF) Monday decided to field candidates in the forthcoming local elections jointly as one group with a common symbol. The second round of talks between CWC delegation led by its President Mr.Armugan Thondaman and UPF delegation led by its President Mr.P.Chandrasekaran was held Monday in Nuwara Eliya. The first round of talks was held on January 26 in Colombo, sources said.

Both parties have decided to strengthen the unity of all Tamil political parties and also to guarantee the political rights of upcountry Tamils, Mr.Chandrasekaran, UPF leader said "We have also decided to bring all upcountry political and other groups under one roof without weakening the political co-operation and unity with the Tamil political parties of the northeast," said Mr.Chandrasekaran.

Mr.M.Sachchithanandam, CWC parliamentarians, CWC provincial councilors Messrs V.Radhakrishnan, M.Nadarajapillai and Thurai Mathiyugarajah comprised the CWC delegation. UPF delegation comprised Mr.A.Lawrence (Vice President), Secretary General Mr.S.Wijeyakumaran, Finance Secretary Mr.Sarath Athukorale, Central Committee member Mr.S.Wijechandran and Attorney-at-Law Rajakulendra.

In the meantime, Mr.Tissa Attanayake, Assistant Secretary of the UNP said Monday his party has decided to have talks with the leaders of the CWC and UPF to form a grand common alliance to contest the forthcoming local government elections, sources said.

But the leaders of the CWC and UPF Monday decided to obtain the views of their members before taking a decision to form an alliance with the UNP or to contest as one group alone, source said.