TULF meets President

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 March 2000, 20:24 GMT]
A six member delegation of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) held discussions with the Sri Lankan President after waiting more than five hours to meet her. The TULF delegation had urged President Chandrika Kumaratunga to resettle people in Waligamam north in Jaffna, restore Thirukketheeswaram, the temple of Shiva in Mannar, allow a Norwegian aid program in Batticaloa and to upgrade the Kalmunai Divisional Secretariat.

The TULF's meeting with the President at the Temple Trees, her official residence, was scheduled this afternoon at 3.30 p.m. She, however, had arrived for the meeting around 8.30 p.m. a TULF leader told the Tamilnet this evening.

The TULF delegation comprised Mr.R.Sampanthan, the party's general secretary, Mr.Mavai Senathirajah MP (national list), Mr.Joseph Pararajasingham MP (Batticaloa), Mr.P Selvarajah MP(Batticaloa), Mr.K. Thurairajasingham MP (Batticaloa) and Mr.V. Anandasangary, Vice President of the party.

The TULF leaders had asked the President to take action to stop the take over of more than ten thousand acres of land in the Waligagam north division of Jaffna and to let people resettle in their villages there.

They had also urged her to renovate Thirukketheeswaram, the temple of Shiva in Mannar, and allow people to resettle in its environs. Lifting the ban on the Norwegian DERBA project in those parts of the Batticaloa district not controlled by the Sri Lankan army and upgrading the Kalmunai Divisional Secretariat (Tamil) had also been discussed at the meeting.

The President had asked the TULF delegation to submit these matters to her in writing. A party spokesman said that the TULF will issue a statement to the press tomorrow about the meeting.