Tamil coalition to campaign against referendum

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 August 2001, 17:22 GMT]
A coalition of 11 Tamil and Muslim political parties Monday decided to campaign against the August 21 referendum for a new constitution. The Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC), Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO), Democratic Workers Congress Party, Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF), People's Liberation Organisation Tamil Eelam (PLOTE), Muslim United Liberation Front (MULF), Democratic Worker's Congress were among the parties that participated in the meeting held in Colombo Tuesday.

A spokesman for the coalition told TamilNet that they are planning to hold a series of meetings and protest rallies in the North and East of the country, Colombo and in the up-country region.

Leader of the TELO and an MP for Vanni, Mr.S.Adaikalanathan, said that a public meeting will be held in Vavuniya on 8 August, and in Mannar on 12 August.

Meanwhile, a three-member committee comprising two ministers and an advisor to President Chandrika Kumaratunge, has begun its disciplinary inquiry against three rebel parliamentarians of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress Mr.A.L.M.Athaullah, Mr.M.S.M.Thowfeek and Mr. Risvie Sinnalebbe, who defected from the government.

Ministers Nimal Siripala de Silva, W.D.J.Seneviratne and Presidential Advisor Mr.Kingsely T.Wickremaratne met and accepted the request made by the rebel parliamentarians that they be given two weeks' time to submit their explanation to the show cause notices issued by the Peoples' Alliance General Secretary Mr.D.M.Jayaratne.

The committee decided to hold its next meeting on August 26.