TNA abstains from voting to register protest

[TamilNet, Monday, 18 November 2002, 17:54 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance parliamentarians Monday refrained from voting when the Interior Ministry financial allocation in the 2003 budget was put to vote during the committee stage debate. "The TNA parliamentary group decided not to vote for the Interior Ministry financial allocation to register our dissatisfaction to the government for its inaction regarding Kanchirankuda and Trincomalee incidents in which several Tamils were killed," said Mr.R.Sampanthan, TNA parliamentary group leader.

The United National Front government has failed to take prompt and stern action against the members of State armed forces who have been involved in the attack on Tamils at Kanchirankuda in Batticaloa and Trincomalee last month. Hence we decided not to support the Government and to abstain from voting when the Interior Ministry allocation was put to vote, Mr.Sampanthan added.

Meanwhile the Interior Ministry financial allocation was passed with a majority of thirty-one votes Monday. 103 MPs voted for the government and 71 voted against. Parliamentarians of Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) and Peoples Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) voted with the government. Parliamentarians of Peoples Alliance and Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna voted against the government.

In the meantime Interior Minister Mr.John Amaratunge in concluding the committee stage debate Monday said that the Prime Minister will take up the question of LTTE establishing its police stations in their areas at Oslo Aid conference. "However it is learnt that LTTE has been engaged in establishing its police stations to reduce ceasefire violation," said Minister John Amaratunge.

Trincomalee district TNA parliamentarian Mr.R.Sampanthan participating in the debate said the government has failed to devolve police powers to the provincial councils under the Thirteenth amendment to the constitution. The present conflict started when the governments in power failed to provide Tamils adequate security to live in their areas. The LTTE has established its Police Force eleven years ago in areas controlled by them, as the government could not maintain law and order in such areas.

Minister and the leader of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress Mr.Rauff Hakeem said that the Prime Minister has promised that he (PM) would take up the matter of LTTE establishing police stations at the Oslo Aid summit scheduled to be held on November 25