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Eastern
MPs unwittingly caught up in the Prabha-Karuna power struggle
While the LTTE leadership in the Wanni demanded that these members remain loyal to Velupillai Prabhakaran, the Karuna faction were demanding that they support their eastern leader who had been 'relieved of all his duties' by the LTTE leader. Soon after results were announced, the Karuna loyalists were trying to persuade the five members to call over on Karuna. There was an instance where a winning candidate, S. Jeyanandamoorthy was in the process of thanking his supporters in the Valachchenai area he was reported to have been forcibly made to board a vehicle to be taken to Karuna. Mr. Jeyanandamoorthy’s supporters were able to prevent him from being taken away. Soon after, Mr. Jeyanandamoorthy together with his immediate family and three police officers providing security had reportedly left Batticaloa. Meanwhile the other parliamentarians were compelled to remain in their homes and were ordered not to leave without the permission of the Karuna faction. Later the four members were summoned by Karuna for a meeting, but eventually was able to meet only Ampara and Batticaloa regions' political leaders Vishu and Thurai. The members were warned that they were only permitted to support proposals related to development activities in the eastern province and to only speak on matters regarding the eastern province. Simultaneously Tamil Alliance members elected to parliament from the north before proceeding to Colombo had called on LTTE political wing leader, S.P. Thamilselvan. At this meeting they were given necessary directives as to how they were to conduct themselves in the House and were told to have a meeting of all the parliamentarians elected from the north and east. As such the four members in the east also were summoned for the meeting but before they left Karuna had requested for and obtained an army escort for purposes of security and also sent four of his loyalists to accompany the members. In Colombo the members met at Parliamentarian Gajendra Kumar Ponnambalam's residence on Monday night. The meeting lasted until midnight followed by individual interviews given to an Indian television channel by the members from the north-east going on till 3.00 .a.m. Those present adjourned the meeting having agreed to meet the following day. The meeting commenced at 10,00 a.m. and lasted until 10.00 p.m. with regular interruptions. On the first day Karuna's informants had managed to sit alongside the new MPs and keeping Karuna informed of the details of the discussions, but on the second day the Karuna 'informers' were locked out and only the parliamentarians were taken in. At certain times during the meeting heated arguments took place leading to some of the Karuna loyalists walking out. They even refused to sign a joint press statement which vowed to abide by the Tamil National Alliance manifesto and accepting the LTTE as sole representatives of the Tamils. The details were relayed to Karuna when the MPs loyal to Karuna walked out of the meeting and informed the Karuna group 'informers'. But, eventually the Wanni district's newly elected MP, Sivanathan Kishore managed to persuade the four members to sign the joint statement. Soon after the conclusion of the meeting the Army officers who had accompanied them told the members they had to return to Batticaloa as early as possible, but TULF General Secretary R. Sampanthan intervened and obtained permission for the officers to stay back in Colombo. The Sunday Times learns that the LTTE had earlier invited all the elected members including those from the east to come to the Wanni yesterday for a meeting with Thamilselvan. But, the army turned down this request and said they were responsible for the security of the four members from the east and would take them back to the east, and as such accompanied the four members back to the east. The four members are now caught in the middle of the power struggle with the LTTE making every effort to re establish itself as the sole representative of the Tamils. |
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