Sampanthan suspected of clandestine deal

[TamilNet, Sunday, 23 November 2014, 23:28 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentary Group Leader R. Sampanthan is suspected of making a clandestine deal on his own with former SL president Chandrika Kumaratunga on supporting the common opposition candidate Maithiripala Srisena, informed sources in Colombo said on Sunday. The deal harps of implementing the 13th Amendment, bringing in changes in the Eastern Provincial Council (EPC) and in changing the governors of the North and East. There was no discussion on international investigations of the war crimes. Sampanthan’s suspected secret deal raises eyebrows within the TNA and there is already heated discussion on the issue, the sources further said.

Ms Chandrika Kumaratunga has met Mr Sampanthan this weekend and urged TNA’s support for Maithiripala Srisena, the sources in Colombo told TamilNet.

Kumaratunga has also asked not to seek anything above the implementation of the 13th Amendment at the moment.

The debated question within the TNA is whether it should support any of the presidential contesters of the genocidal State or to keep quite leaving the choice of the next government to the conscience of the Sinhala nation, the informed sources said.

Senior leaders of Ilangkai Thamizh Arasuk Kadchi (ITAK) have sought explanation from the executive committee on the stand taken by Mr Sampanthan without consulting his own party and the other parties in the Tamil alliance. They have also demanded to convene a meeting of the general body.

In the meantime, Suresh Premachandran MP, a spokesperson of the TNA and the leader of the EPRLF (Suresh-wing) has told media circles that TNA parliamentarians would be meeting in Colombo on Monday to discuss the issue.

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