2ND LEAD

TNPF opposes new local government elections bill

[TamilNet, Monday, 25 October 2010, 05:15 GMT]
Former Jaffna district parliamentarian Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam said that Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) would oppose the proposed new local government elections bill by Sri Lanka government in a press briefing held at the party office in Jaffna Sunday. Meanwhile, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) which had also expressed its strong opposition to the said bill will file a petition against it Monday in the High Court, according to the announcement made by TNA Jaffna parliamentarian Mavai Senathirajah.

Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam also said that the TNPF has begun to actively engage in gathering support among the people following the general elections.

The United People’s Freedom Alliance government is to present the proposed bill which will re-introduce the previous ‘Ward System’ and is a hybrid election system between the ‘First-Past-the-Post’ system and the Proportional Representation System.

The proposed bill will not only affect the rights of Tamils but also the Up-country Tamils and Muslims, paving the way for the majority rule to eliminate the other parties, political circles in Jaffna said.