'Sangaree' issue to be decided at TULF working committee

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 November 2003, 17:25 GMT]
A request has been made to the Secretary General of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), Mr.R.Sampanthan, to summon the central working committee of the party to take disciplinary action against the party president, Mr.V.Ananadasangaree, for making statements contrary to the Tamil National Alliance’s stated positions as outlined in its manifesto, sources said.

The TULF is the main constituent of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and the other three constituent parties are All Ceylon Tamil Congress, Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization and Suresh wing of the Eelam Peoples Revolutionary Liberation Organization. The TNA contested the December 2001 parliamentary election with a manifesto that stated the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is the sole representative of the Tamils in the North East, and won fifteen parliamentary seats including an MP under the national list, political sources said.

Mr. Anandasangaree has been making several statements, including that the LTTE is not the sole representative of the Tamils of the NorthEast, that contradict the TNA's manifesto and the views of the party's rank and file, sources said.

TULF senior vice president and Batticaloa district TNA parliamentarian, Mr.Joseph Pararajasingham, Tuesday sent a letter to Mr.Sampanthan requesting him to summon the party central working committee to take action against Mr. V.Anandasangaree as decided by the TULF Batticaloa district branch, sources said

Mr. Pararajasingham has suggested that the central working committee meeting should be held without delay, preferably on November 16th or 23rd.

The TULF district branches of Batticaloa and Amparai recently decided that Mr.Anandasangaree should step down from the post of president immediately or face expulsion, sources said.

Earlier in July, the TULF's Trinco branch also called for disciplinary action against Mr. Anandasangaree.

Mr. Pararajasingham has sent a copy of the decision taken by the TULF Batticaloa district branch to Mr.Sampanthan, the sources said.