Fifteen parties, 6 independent groups contest Trincomalee district

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 October 2001, 22:18 GMT]
Fifteen registered political parties including People's Alliance, United National Party, Tamil United Liberation Front, Janata Vimukthi Peramuna, Eelam Peoples Democratic Party, Sihala Urumaya, Sinhala Nationalist Party, Sri Lanka Muslim United Liberation Party, Sri Lanka Muslim 'Kadchchi' (party) and six independent groups Saturday submitted nominations at the Trincomalee district secretariat to contest the forthcoming general election in the Trincomalee district.

Two Tamil parties are contesting the elections. One is Tamil parties' alliance, which is led by the TULF Secretary General R.Sampanthan. The TULF list included an All Ceylon Tamil Congress candidate and a TELO candidate.

The other is E.P.D.P. led by its Trincomalee district organizer Mr.T.Pushparajah.

The People's Alliance is led by a former parliamentarian Mr.M.K.A.De S. Gunawardene based in Kantalai, earlier a traditional Tamil village now being dominated by the Sinhalese after the state aided colonization started during 1952 under the then United National Party regime. A former parliamentarian and a deputy minister Mr.M.N.Abdul Majeed who was the chief candidate of the PA list in 2000 October general election has been given second place in the list of candidates submitted Saturday. No Tamil is contesting in the PA list.

A former parliamentarian Mr.M.A.M.Maharoof is leading the UNP list. The second place is given to former Sri Lanka Muslim Congress parliamentarian Mr.M.S.Thowfeek. Messrs R.N.Varathan and S.Krishnakumar, two Tamils, are contesting in the UNP list.