News

News

Appointment of Douglas Devananda as Minister
TNA accuses President of insulting Tamils
By Frances Bulathsinghala
The Tamil National Alliance has charged that the appointment of EPDP leader Douglas Devananda as a cabinet minister in charge of northern affairs is a "downright insult" to the Tamil people and could be an impediment to the peace process.

TNA leader R. Sampanthan said the appointment was an "ominous start" to the President’s aspired peace building with the LTTE. "It is a grave miscalculation on the part of President Kumaratunga. We want the peace process to resume immediately but we see this appointment as a grave obstacle," Mr. Sampanthan said after a meeting of the TNA parliamentary group.

Mr. Sampanthan who is to meet the LTTE leadership in Kilinochchi on Tuesday with the other TNA members said they would discuss the ‘role’ the TNA should play as an opposition party in parliament. In a statement, the TNA said that Mr. Devananda's appointment had raised doubts about the genuineness of the attempts by the President to reopen peace talks.

The TNA said it had got a clear mandate from the people to pursue the LTTE's proposals for the Interim Self-Governing Authority but the President's move had undermined the mandate.

"Our primary objective would be to get the ISGA proposals acknowledged by the Government. We are prepared to make changes. We are prepared for amendments. However, we see the immediate future with regard to peace as being gloomy. We are sad someone rejected by the people has been accepted by President Kumaratunga as the Tamil people’s representative," Mr. Sampanthan said.

Top

Back to News