Almost a Vertical Split in the TNA – Deeply Disunited, Yet Remain Intact

In a stormy meeting of the Tamil National Alliance Parliamentary Group that lasted well over 6 torturous hours, the SMS leadership managed ultimately to scrape through by a razor thin majority of just two votes to endorse the candidature of the oppositions’ ‘uncommon’ candidate retired General Sarath Fonseka.

The maneuvers of the SMS leadership to entrust to take decision to the leader of the group R. Sampanthan in the name of the unity of the TNA was thoroughly defeated by the stiff opposition presented by the determined group of parliamentarians, who were deadly opposed to the TNA having anything to do with the ‘war criminals’ as alleged by the dissident group parliamentarians.

With the three MPs namely Thanmanpillai Kanagasabai, Senathirajah Jeyananthamoorthy, and Chandra Nehru Chandrakanthan outside the country and the fourth one Sathasivam Kanagaratnam MP held in detention, the total of 18 MPs participated in the yesterdays group meeting.

Jaffna Electorate
Out of the total of eight elected MPs in the electorate
1. Douglas Devananda belongs to EPDP
2. A total of 7 TNA MPS
3. Out of them-
Nallathamby Srikantha
M.K.Sivajilingham
Pathmini Sithamparanathan
Selvarajah Kajendran and
Gajendrakumar Ponnampalam - opposes TNA decision to support Fonseka.

The 18 MPs of the TNA who first met at the parliamentary complex from 3 PM to 4 PM were compelled to suspend their first session for sometime in order to participate in the vote on the monthly extension of the Emergency.

Having remained united in opposing the extension of the Emergency as usual, the TNA MPs again met at the MPs quarter at Madiwala in the close vicinity of the parliamentary complex, to decide on the stance of the TNA, at the forthcoming Presidential election.

Yesterday’s meeting was the follow up of a tortuous process of deliberation that commenced day before yesterday.

Right from the word ‘go’, it was indeed a tug-of- war between the SMS leadership and their faithful loyalists on one side and the rest on the other.

The sugar coated explanation offered by the parliamentary group leader Sampanthan who labored much to convince the opposing TNA dissidents was frequently interrupted.

Sampanthan stood to his ground, despite angry shouts and boos, went on to deliver a lengthy address in defence of the agreement he reached with Sarath Fonseka and the leader of the UNP Ranil Wickramasinghe to the Tamil question.

Thereafter he left the floor open to the individual parliamentarians to express their views one after another and the MPs started speaking out their position.

This process turned out to be a stormy one with the leader of the All Ceylon Tamil Congress Gajendrakumar Ponnampalam provoked at one stage and angrily flinging allegations at the SMS leadership for arbitrarily handling the TNA affairs.

Parliamentarian Sivanathan Kisshor also joined with Gajendrakumar Ponnampalam and accused Sampanthan of the suppression of certain matters that transpired at the meeting Sampanthan had with the presidential team, a few days ago.

What ensued thereafter while the process of the deliberation was a direct confrontation with pro-Sarath Fonseka faction and some of the dissidents.

The attempt on the part of some MPs who appealed to the quarrelling colleagues ensured the continuation of the meeting at some point of time, when the pandemonium broke out towards the concluding stage of the meeting and it became extremely stormy with allegations and counter allegations leveled to and fro.

Vanni Electorate
Out of the total of six elected MPs
Abdul Rishad Bathiudeen is with the UPFA Government side
Out of the balance 5 TNA MPs
Sivananthan Kisshor
Subramanyam Noharathalingham
Amirtham Adaikalanathan - opposes the TNA decision to support Fonseka
Sathasivam Kanagaratnam is held under detention

Visibly angry Gajaendrakumar Ponnampalam, who together with the TELO MP Nallathamby Srikantha resisted to SMS leadership framing the issue to decide as one of whether there should b a change of regime or not.

Also joined the protest were M.K.Sivajilingham, Sivanathan Kisshor and Selvarajah Kajendran.

These members wanted the issue to be framed as whether the TNA should support either of the two main candidates or not at all.

But the SMS leadership and some of their loyalists were incited on the questions remain as the part of it.

Interestingly both the EPRLF parliamentarians Suresh Premachandran and Sivasakthi Anandan were in the forefront of defending the position of the SMS in regard to the wording of the issue.

Finding that the dissidents were not relenting and turning out to be more and more aggressive, the SMS leadership finally agreed to a fresh framing of the issue with dissidents accepting that it was put before the house and the position of the each and every MPs ascertained.

Batticaloa district MP Thangeswary Kathiraman who was earlier earmarked as a dissident, suddenly adopting a softened stance saw her on the side of the SMS leadership.

It should be pointed out that at one stage when the vote was about to be taken the SMS leadership was seen visibly nervous and some of their loyalists were seen to be shouting that the unity of the TNA was put into question.

The dissidents too gave a tit for tat retaliation with N. Srikantha Gajendrakumar Ponbnampalam, S. Kajendran, Pathmini Sithamparanathan, M.K.Sivajilingham, and Sivanathan Kisshor rebuffing the other side.

They were seen furious with the move adopted by the SMS leadership to ensure victory for them by a tricky formulation of the question to be put to vote.

The dissidents remain on the belligerent right from the beginning found to be clinching on to the issue in their favor, but finally they lost and were magnanimous to concede in the name of the unity of the TNA.

It became evident that some of the MPs , especially Pakkiyaselvam Ariyanenthiran who was accused of shifting position frequently during the last two weeks and surprisingly the attitude of the national list MP Raseen Mohammed Imam to back the uncommon candidate Fonseka in the name of regime change, robbed the dissidents of a clear victory that really belonged to them.

In the meantime Senathirajah Jeyananthamoorthy who is away in London spoke to Sampanthan while the meeting was in progress and his views were aired on the microphone. Subsequently Sampanthan was adamant when the vote was taken not to include Jeyananthamoorthy’s name among those opposed to the TNA backing Fonseka. Jeyananthmoorthy’s position was not to support either of the two main contenders in the presidential election.

Sampanthan also said that Kanagasabai who is in India has informed him that he supports Sarath Fonseka’s candidature. His view was also not taken for consideration at the time of voting.

In the final day deliberation TELO President Amirthanathan Adaikalanathan and the TELO MP Subramanyam Nohathalingham both from the Vanni electorate who remained disassociated with the other two TELO MPs Srikantha and Sivajilingham, suddenly joined the dissident group to the surprise of the SMS leadership.

Now the million dollar question remains unanswered is how the TNA is going to react to the candidature of M.K.Sivajilingham who entered the Presidential election fray as an independent.

Though, at the end of the meeting two MPs of the SMS group tried to raise the issue, the dissidents who were departing after voting, brushed that issue aside.

Sivajilingham has already anounced that the decision of the TNA does not bind him at all. He has firmly told that there is no question of reconsidering his candidature at any time.

He is due to address public meetings together with the left candidate Dr.Vickramabahu Karunarathne in the presidential election in Mannar today.

Samapnthan might have won the day, but as usual the curse of the Tamils lingers on. History would soon record Sampanthan, egocentric and parochial approach, another failed Tamil politician who led the Tamils one more time toward a destructive course.

- Asian Tribune -