Tamils warned to prepare for snap election

[TamilNet, Sunday, 14 December 2003, 16:45 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary group leader Mr.R.Sampanthan Sunday said Tamil people should rally round under one banner to increase their parliamentary strength if the current crisis between Sri Lanka's President and the Prime Minister precipitates a snap election. “The LTTE leadership has endorsed this stand,” said Mr.Sampanthan.

"A unified strong Tamil political representation as a show of Tamil Peoples' political might is critical to support the peace process and to face the political uncertainty that prevails in the South," added Sampanthan.

Mr.Sampanthan who is also the Secretary General of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) and the Trincomalee district parliamentarian addressing the meeting of the Trincomalee district branch of the TULF Sunday at his residence said, peace talks between the government led by Sri Lanka's Prime Minister and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) began last year on the basis that the power to take forward the peace process and the defense ministry that has been vital for the smooth implementation of the ceasefire were in the hands of the ruling United National Front (UNF) government.

“Under the current context it is very difficult to say that this firm foundation could be restored to take forward the peace process,” Mr.Sampanthan said.

“The take over of the three key ministries including the defense ministry by the President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge last month has broken this firm foundation. The Prime Minister has said he could not take forward the peace process until the defense ministry is returned to his control. Contradictory position of the President and Prime Minister to sort out the political crisis has been continuing without a solution in sight,” Mr.Sampanthan said.