Sinhalese politicians, who had never been able to join, joined in a straight line during the presidential elections in the early 2015. Sinhalese politicians joined their hands to hands in order to throw out Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was revered as the war hero after annihilating the LTTE, despotically, corruptibly and dynastically ruled the country for 9 years, from the regime.
JHU, JVP and UNP are totally conflicted each other in terms of ideology and practice. Likewise, Muslim congress, the All Ceylon Muslim party and leftist parties are conflicted each other over their interests. But all these parties united for achieving their common goal. Eventually, Tamil National Alliance also supported to Maithri.
Leftist leaders in South including Wickramabahu Karunaratne, civil societies, intellectuals, university students and trade unions also concurred to achieve their common goal, which was to defeat Mahinda who was the tyrannical ruler.
It is not a new subject in the politics of Sri Lanka. During 1989 – 1993, there was a coalition among the political parties in South with the intention of opposing the regime of Ranasinghe Premadasa. Mahinda also played a leading role in this alliance. In 2005, almost all the political parties in South joined hands to hands in defeating the LTTE in war. (Except the Progressive party against war)
As far as I know, in the post-independence era, Tamil parties both militant movements and political parties engaged in non-violent struggle did not join hands to hands among them voluntarily and with clear consensus for a common goal. (TULF, which was formed by some of the political parties, dissipated later on)
Only Tamil National Alliance, which was integrated owing to the authoritative pressure exerted by the LTTE, has been dragging on so far willingly or unwillingly beyond all the conflicts take place during the election times.
When the TNA was being formed, TULF and All Ceylon Tamil Congress headed by Appathurai Vinayakamoorthy rebuffed to join in.
Former Batticaloa parliamentarian Joseph Pararajasingham and Sukunam Pararajasingham also strongly refused to join in the TNA with the question of how they can join in an alliance formed by the movements. Following to the protracted negotiations, TULF agreed to join in the TNA.
At that time, Kumarakuruparan was the secretary of the ACTC headed by Appathurai Vinayakamoorthy. After the demise of Kumar Ponnampalam, both Kumarakuruparan and Appathurai Vinayakamoorthy were under the control of Mrs.Ponnampalam until Gajendrakumar took the leadership.
All Ceylon Tamil Congress party, which had earlier rebuffed to join in the TNA, contradicted again demanding to contest in the symbol of bicycle in the election.
However, ACTC was insisted to join in TNA to defeat the EPDP, a major coalition partner of President Chandrika Kumaratunga's government. It was then become known that Appathurai Vinayakamoorthy agreed to join in TNA following to the intimidation of the late journalist Sivaram. (Vinayakamoorthy also told many that he was threatened to be shot dead by Sivaram who behaved disrespectfully with him.)
Meanwhile, Suresh led EPRLF and Selvam led TELO agreed to form the TNA. (See the referred news 1)
The LTTE leader Mr.V.Pirapaharan met with the representatives of the Tamil National Alliance on 13th of April, 2002 at Vanni. (Referred news 2) There was interesting information about this meeting. Former parliamentarians Anandasankari and Joseph Pararajasingham stayed in a same room. While they were staying at night, Anandasankari asked his doubt from Joseph Pararajasingham that “Did not they ask us to come here to be incarcerated?” (Joseph Pararajasingham comically told this to journalist Thurairatnam)
Despite the LTTE did not directly interfere in the formation of TNA at the beginning, someone including Sivaram attempted to do this on the advice of the LTTE. This is the history of the formation of TNA. What will happen to the TNA, which was formed like this, after the demise of Sampanthan is the question being arose among many.
Till today, Tamil parties both in Eelam and exile did not attempt to work together with a common goal by putting forth the issues faced by Tamils. Tamils will not attempt to unite even whatever the worst plight they are in.
On last Sunday, beyond the contradictions, south once again has achieved the success of finding coalition. Out of the fear whether the silent revolution conducted by them on 8th of January would fall on the hands of Rajapaksas, all agreed to work together with some compromises in order to achieve a common goal. Never in the history of Sri Lanka, Left parties including the Lanka Sama Samaja Party, Communist Party and New Leftist Front joined with UNP under the symbol of Elephant. They had always been being in the alliance made by SLFP. This has been being in practice from the times of Colvin R. De Cilva, N.M. Perera and Peter Kenaman. Left parties, who supported to Maithri in the last presidential election, decided to join in United National Front for good governance to contest in the upcoming general election under the symbol of Elephant.
Besides, United Leftist Front (They worked for bringing Maithri to the regime) formed with the coalition of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party, Communist Party, the New Democratic Front decided to contest in the upcoming general election by joining in United National Front for good governance under the symbol of Elephant, the leader of United Leftist Front Dr. Jayampati Vikramaratna stated.
United Leftist Front further stated that they are in alliance once again in order to stop those, who were rejected by the people on 8th of January, come to the regime. Further they added in their report that Western Provincial Council member of the United Left Front Keerthy Kariyawasam would contest in the upcoming general election in Kaluthurai district on behalf of United National Front for good governance while Jayampati Vikramaratna and Raja Uchvettakehiyawa will going to be nominated to the national list.
Apart from that, in the war against Rajapaksas in south, 49 parties other than the political parties including leftists, trade unions, student societies, intellectuals, human rights activists and Human Rights Organizations joined hands to hands with the United National Front for good governance.
Ranil Wickremesinghe the leader of United National Party, which has been being legendary from the times of D.S.Senenayake, has given up the opportunity to be the presidential candidate in the last election and he has now given up the uniqueness of the UNP. Through that, the United National Front for good governance is going to achieve a big victory in the upcoming general election.
Many assumptions are roaming with regard to the Maithri’s acceptance to Mahinda to be candidate in the upcoming election. Being as a member in the party, Maithri cannot do anything to stop the candidacy of Mahinda as many including both secretaries of SLFP and UPFA Anura Priyadharshana Yapa and Susil Prema Jayantha are supporting to Mahinda. Therefore, Maithri allowed Mahinda’s candidacy while allowing his supporters to join in the United National Front for good governance and silently awaiting for the opportunity for him. There is no way out of considering like this as no other evidential reasons so far revealed.
According to the some of those assumptions, Maithri has the intention of taking the control of the party after defeating Mahinda in this upcoming election by allowing him to go along what he does.
I stated that no one can stop the victory of Maithri unless computers cast the votes and other wrong doings occur in the last presidential election. That happened as what I said.
There is a possibility for the United National Front for good governance to get more than 113 seats that is required to establish the government.
I spoke to a senior Sinhalese journalist on the day when filing the nomination papers finished. “I earlier thought that UNP can win 90-100 seats. But after seeing the nomination list of the UPFA, I belief that the United National Front for good governance will win at least 113 seats since all those who were the reasons behind the fall of Mahinda have been listed again. This will irritate the people”, he told me.
As the second opposition party, the UPFA will possibly win 60-70 seats whereas, as the third opposition party, the TNA will probably win 15 seats. Only remaining seats will go to other parties including the JVP.
While the politics of south prevails like this, the situation in north-east is straight opposite to this. It could be seen that somebody is in an attempt as whatever damages happened to them, their enemy should be affected at least slightly.
“The crusaders for democracy” led by Vithiyatharan is the best example for this.
A party initiated just before few weeks, which never undertake anything for the people, suddenly asked seats from the Tamil National Alliance. Once they were not provided any seats, they decided to separately contest in this upcoming general election.
Vithiyatharan has entered to the politics with some ex-cadres with the qualifications of the Close friend of Dr.Anton Balasingham and journalist.
His group does not have the clear structure. That has not started working for the people so far. No one knows anything about its political objectives and programs. If a party likes this contest in the election, it clearly means that it only tends to scatter the votes of Tamils. Sympathies on the cadres have changed as the bargaining and priced object for the personal interests of someone.
Entrance of the ex-tiger cadres into the democratic politics is not wrong. It is not unwanted. They and the one who led them have to go in front of the people and make the people aware of their intentions and agenda. Then the people will identify them. You will be the major political force if you work with the people for the sake of the people unlike other present political parties in north and east.
But, your sudden entrance into the parliamentary politics, as jumping from the sky, with the demand of parliamentary seats for your voice to be heard, will possibly be the conspiracy against the people in today’s reality. If you are defeated because of the lack of people support and clear agenda, the purity on you will also be stained along with it. Election cannot be the first goal of you, if you really want to fight for the interests of Tamil nationalism. In fact, the close friend of Dr. Anton Balasingham is attempting to play a gamble at your cost.
We have to study what is unity even after seeing it from Sinhalese.
-Nadarajah Kuruparan-
13th of July, 2015.
Referred News 1
Tamil parties form alliance
[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 October 2001, 20:37 GMT]
The main opposition Tamil parties in Sri Lanka agreed Wednesday to form a Tamil nationalist alliance to contest the general elections on 5 December 2001. The agreement was reached late Wednesday night following protracted negotiations over the week. The Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO) and the All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC) decided to cement the alliance by signing a memorandum of understanding on Friday.
Nominations for the 2001 elections begin on Friday, 20 October. Negotiations to forge a united Tamil front which began last week were stymied by ACTC's insistence that it would go it alone in Jaffna.
The alliance was largely due the efforts of pressure groups in Colombo, Batticaloa and Trincomalee. Under the agreement reached today the TULF, TELO, ACTC and the EPRLF (Suresh faction) will contest in all the north and eastern parts of the island under the rising sun symbol.
A Tamil interest group in Colombo mediated to restart unity talks which broke down during the weekend when the ACTC said that it would contest under its own symbol (bicycle) in Jaffna.
The leader of the ACTC, Mr. Appathurai Vinayagamoorthy, refused to given in to pressure from interest groups from Colombo and the east that argued that unity was most needed in Jaffna to defeat the EPDP, a major coalition partner of President Chandrika Kumaratunga's government.
Referred News 2
"LTTE-TNA decide to work united"-Sampanthan
[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 April 2002, 18:47 GMT]
"The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) have accepted the need to work unitedly,"said Mr.R.Sampanthan, leader of the TNA parliamentary group Saturday evening in a statement on his return to Colombo from Vanni. Mr.Sampanthan told Tamilnet that the three and a half hour meeting with the LTTE leader was a historic event.
The statement issued by Mr.Sampanthan follows-
"The LTTE leader Mr.V.Pirapaharan met with the representatives of the Tamil National Alliance on Friday around 5 p.m. at Killinochchi.associated with Mr.Pirapaharan at the discussion were Messrs Anton Balasingham, (Political Advisor), S.P.Thamilchelvan (Political Head), Pottu Amman (Intelligence head), Karuna9 Amparai-Batticaloa military commander), Pathuman (Trincomalee area commander), Karikalan (Political Head of the Amparai-Batticaloa district) and Ruban (Trincomalee political head).
"TNA delegation comprised parliamentarians Mr.Sampanthan, V.Anandasangaree, Joseph Pararajasingham, Mavai Senathirajah, Appathurai Vinayagamoorthy, Raja Kuhaneswaran, K.Thangavadivel, G.Krishnapillai, Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, N.Raviraj, Sivasakthi Anandan, A Chandra Nehru, M.K.Sivajilingam and the Secretary General of the EPRLF Mr. Suresh Premachandran.
