TNA may consider coalition with UPFA in East, if invited

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader Rajavarothayam Sampanthan said yesterday that they were willing to consider a coalition administration in the Eastern Provincial Council if there was an invitation from President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

“So far no such invitation has been received,” he told a news conference at a Colombo hotel.

Communist Party leader and Minister D.E.W. Gunasekera proposed this week that such a coalition be formed. He told the Sunday Times last night he had written to President Mahinda Rajapaksa, about the proposal. He said he has had no response so far. He had also sent a copy to the UPFA General Secretary, Minister Susil Premajayantha. “I also spoke with many of my ministerial colleagues

including Sarath Amunugama, Dinesh Gunawardena, Vasudeva Nanayakkara and Wimal Weerawansa. None of them objected,” he said.

Mr. Sampanthan said he had written to the Elections Commissioner complaining that persons claiming to be UPFA supporters had attempted to “buy over” members who were recently elected on the ITAK (Ilankai Thamil Arasu Kadchchi) ticket. The ITAK is the officially registered political arm of the TNA. “They have been offered five million rupees, a house in Colombo, a vehicle and the possibility of awarding government contracts to their supporters,” he alleged.

Ten out of the eleven ITAK members who were elected at last week polls to the Eastern Provincial Council were present at the news conference. The eleventh, a TNA parliamentarian said, was sick and has been hospitalised.

Tissa Attanayake, General Secretary of the main opposition United National Party, has said his party would support an ITAK nominee for the post of Chief Minister. In a letter to the Governor of the Eastern Province, Attanayake has said he endorsed the letter already sent to him by Mavai S. Senathirajah, General Secretary of the ITAK.