Breakaway EPDP faction files nominations

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 December 1997, 23:59 GMT]
An independedent group filed nominations for the local government elections in Jaffna this morning around 11.30 p.m. at the Jaffna Kachcheri.

The group submitted a nomination list of fifteen led by Vanniasingham Gunaseelan, a businessman from Kayts, for the Kayts Pradheshiya Sabha and another nomination list (also 15) for the Velanai Pradeshiya Sabha led by Sivan Sivakumar, a farmer.

The independent group is backed by the two Jaffna MPs Rameswaran and Ramamoorthy (brothers) who split from the EPDP and are functioning separately in Parliament.

The independent group declined to reveal the names of the other candidates to the TamilNet correspondent who spoke to them at the Kachcheri soon after they filed the nominations for security reasons.

Later around 1.30 the independent group called a press conference at its office in Vemabady road in Jaffna town.

The chief candidates told the three reporters gathered there that they will call upon the Commissioner of Elections to ensure free and fair elections in the islands.

They said that they are even unable to meet their supporters now due to the coercive tactics of another group that is operating there.

"We will appeal to the President as well to rectify this situation" said the group leaders of the independents.

Reports indicate that there is friction between the EPDP cadres operating in the islands and members of the independent group who visited these parts last week in the company of the PLOTE.

Reports said that the EPDP also filed nominations at the Jaffna Kachcheri in the afternoon but no details were available.