Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation rejoins TNA
The Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO), which had talks with the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) led by V. Anandasangaree after differences with the Tamil National Alliance (TNA last week had amicably resolved issues it had with the TNA and agreed to contest the upcoming local government elections in coalition with the other constituent parties of the TNA, sources said.
Leaders of the three constituent parties of the TNA- the Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK), TELO and People’s Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) - met at the Opposition Leader’s office in Colombo on Saturday and decided to contest LG elections under the ITAK’S ‘house’ symbol.
The meeting followed an invitation by TNA leader and Opposition Leader R. Sampanthan to the TELO and other constituent parties to put their heads together and
Nominations would be submitted in the name and the symbol (House) of the ITAK. A fervent appeal is made to the voters in the North and the East to wholeheartedly support the Tamil National Alliance contesting under the ITAK and the house symbol
sort out differences. However, another constituent party of the TNA coalition, the Eelam People’s Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) led by former Parliamentarian Suresh Premachandran has left the coalition and teamed up with the TULF.
A statement issued by the TNA after the aforesaid discussion said: “The Tamil National Alliance constituent party leaders Mavai. Senathirajah (ITAK), Selvam Adaikkalanathan (TELO), and D. Siddharthan (PLOTE), met the Members of Parliament and party representatives on December 9, 2017, and held discussions regard to the forthcoming local government elections and resolved issues.” “Nominations would be submitted in the name and the symbol (House) of the ITAK. A fervent appeal is made to the voters in the North and the East to wholeheartedly support the Tamil National Alliance contesting under the ITAK and the house symbol,” the statement signed by ITAK leader Mavai Senathirajah, TELO leader Selvam Adaikkalanathan and PLOTE leader Siddharthan said.
Sources said that the three parties had also agreed to release a common election manifesto for the LG polls scheduled to be held in February based on the ITAK’S Parliamentary elections manifesto in 2015.