NPC plunges into crisis as external agenda-backed forces challenge Wigneswaran

Ilangkai Thamizh Arasuk Kadchi (ITAK), which is the main constituent party of the TNA, engineered a move of no-confidence against NPC Chief Minister Justice C.V.Wigneswaran on Wednesday. A considerable number of councillors submitted the request, just a few hours after Justice Wigneswaran instructed two of his ministers, subjected to investigations to resign, and asked two other ministers to go on compulsory leave until the investigation on them is completed. Bringing the four ministries under Chief Minister's purview, the NPC CM said he was answerable to the people who had entrusted him with the task of leading the NPC. TNA parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran has been involved in creating, managing and finally deploying the move as an opportunity to force Wignewaran and his genre to retire from politics. However, Wigneswaran remains calm and restraint, news sources in Jaffna said.

The dissident councillors, led by C.V.K Sivagnanam who is also the Chairman (Speaker) of the NPC, said that they had handed over a written no-confidence letter against NPC Chief Minister on Wednesday evening to Reginald Cooray, the SL Governor to Northern Province.

Although C.V.K Sivagnanam claimed that there were 22 councillors out of the total 38, backing the no-confidence motion, one of the dissidents was already withdrawing from the move, informed sources said.

The move comes after Mr Sumanthiran was hectically involved in convincing the ITAK group of councillors to back his line. He was communicating with the SL President and SL Prime Minister, who in turn instructed the opposition Sinhala and Muslim NPC councillors of the UPFA to back the move of no-confidence. Promises were made on ministerial positions and even possibilities of appointments in the next parliamentary elections on ITAK ticket.

A senior journalist in Jaffna who talked to Chief Minister Wednesday night cited Justice Wigneswaran reiterating his response to the alleged no-confidence move that had already been clearly articulated in his Tamil address to the Council earlier on that day.

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Justice Wigneswaran said the following in Tamil while addressing the Council:

“மற்றையவர்கள் போனால் முதலமைச்சரும் வெளியேற வேண்டும் என்ற கோரிக்கை இப்பொழுது சிலர் மத்தியில் நடைமுறைச் செல்வாக்குப் பெற்று வருகின்றது. ஒரு முதலமைச்சரை மக்கள் நேரடியாகத் தேர்ந்தெடுக்கின்றார்கள். அமைச்சர்களை முதலமைச்சரே கட்சி வரையறைகளைப் பேணி மாவட்ட நலவுரித்துக்களைச் சிந்தையில் நிறுத்தி தேர்ந்தெடுக்கின்றார். அதற்கு சட்ட வலுவை ஆளுநர் அளிக்கின்றார். ஆளுநரால் தான்தோன்றித்தனமாக அமைச்சர்களை நியமிக்க முடியாது. எனவே மக்களால் தேர்ந்தெடுக்கப்படும் முதலமைச்சர், தான் சிபார்சு செய்த அமைச்சர்களை நீக்கி புதிய அமைச்சர்களை நியமிக்கக் கோரும் பொறுப்பை உடையவர் என்பதை இங்கு கூறி வைக்கின்றேன்.”

• Full text of NPC CM's address in Tamil