Natives of Norway, Tamil Nadu, among 37 contesting NCET elections

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 November 2009, 06:43 GMT]
As the final list of candidates is out for the popular elections of the Norwegian Council of Eelam Tamils (NCET) scheduled Sunday, 9 candidates contest for 5 seats of the national list and 28 candidates are in the fray for 10 seats under regional list. Figuring in the list are three native Norwegians and one Tamil of Tamil Nadu. The NCET constitution, while permitting vote only to people of Eezham Tamil descent above 16, allows even others to be elected provided they accept the principle of the Council advocating independent and sovereign Tamil Eelam in the island of Sri Lanka. Another feature of the candidates list is that many of them are highly educated and are professionals in various walks of life. Seven in the list are women, eight under 35 and two over 60. Two are young women among the 5 who have already been elected by institutions for the second chamber.

Participation of non Eezham Tamils in the elections for the cause of Eezham Tamils is an encouraging phenomenon, as any democratic struggle addressing ‘state fundamentalism’ has to be waged internationally, inside each and every state of today, commented Tamil circles in Norway.

28-year-old Bjørnar Moxnes who contests under national list, is a postgraduate student of Sociology and is a group leader of the Rødt Party of left politics in Norway. Another group leader of this party contesting in Northern Region is 37-year-old mental-health therapist, Morten Qvam. Contesting from the same region is Lizbeth Stene, aged 57, who has personal experience of witnessing the plight of Tamils in the island.

Vijayshankar Asokan from Tharmapuri, Tamil Nadu, contesting from Western Region of Norway, is 25 years old Ph.D research fellow in Physics in the University of Bergen.

Some of the Eezham Tamil candidates are members of leading Norwegian political parties such as the ruling Labour Party (AP).

In this election for the cause of Eezham Tamils, professors, researchers, medical specialists, marine engineers, IT professionals, accountants, teachers, social workers, psychotherapists and health workers contest side by side with people of various other professions.

Polling booths are operated in 16 centres in all regions of Norway.

In a press statement released Friday, Prof. Ilango Balasingam, a member of the Election Commission, said that it is the first time a Tamil diaspora body is being formed through country-wide democratic elections and he was hopeful that the efforts would set an example for the global organisation of Eezham Tamil polity.

Profiles of Candidates:

• National list for electing 5
  
  
• Eastern list for electing 6 for the national council and 9 for regional council
  
  
• Southern list for electing 1 for the national council and 3 for the regional council
  
  
• Western list for electing 1 for the national council and 3 for the regional council
  
  
• Mid Norway list for electing 1 for the national council and 3 for the regional council
  
  
• Northern list for electing 1 for the national council and 3 for the regional council

Polling booths and voting times




Chronology:


Related Articles:
11.05.09   99 percent Norway Tamils aspire for Tamil Eelam
10.05.09   Norway Tamils ballot-test political course


External Links:

NCET:		Norwegian Council of Eelam Tamils (NCET)
TamilValg:		TamilValg (Election Commission)