The Hindu : MDMK will not join any Govt. at Centre

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 15, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

MDMK will not join any Govt. at Centre

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, FEB. 14. The Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) general council today unanimously re-elected Vaiko party general secretary. The MDMK has also decided not to be part of any future Government at the Centre.

The meeting here elected the entire top leadership unanimously — L.Ganesan as presidium chairman, M.Kannappan as treasurer and Gingee N.Ramachandran, Nazareth Durai and C.E.Satya as deputy general secretaries.

A. Ganesamurthy and S.Sevanthiappan, who were arrested along with Mr.Vaiko under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) for the speeches they delivered at Tirumangalam near Madurai in June 2002, figure on the administrative committee. Another POTA accused, K.Nagarajan, has been elected to the audit committee, while Veera. Ilavarasan, who was also held under the POTA, finds a place on the manifesto committee.

``We will honour all the eight POTA detenus. None of them even thought of getting out on bail. It was only after I insisted that they applied for bail,'' Mr.Vaiko told presspersons. Asked whether they would contest the Lok Sabha polls, he said it would be known when the list was released on February 19. That day Mr.Vaiko will address the first public meeting after his release on bail.

Mr.Vaiko announced the setting up of a 12-member high-level committee, of which the top leaders will also be members. It would meet as often as needed, ``at least once in a week,'' and deliberate on emerging problems and issues.

On allotment of a mere four constituencies for the party in the Democratic Progressive Alliance, he said the discussions on seats were now over. ``All the 40 (in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry) are our constituencies. We will fight for the victory of our candidates in all these constituencies.''

Referring to the MDMK's support to the POTA at the time it was enacted, Mr. Vaiko said that in some situations the party had a different view but had to go along with the majority. Admitting that his party's support for the POTA enactment was wrong, he said if the Congress came to power at the Centre, the law would be scrapped. ``It was a mistake (supporting POTA). I deserve this detention.''

Asked whether there was a possibility of the MDMK supporting the Bharatiya Janata Party, he said there was no room for that question in the first place.

To a question whether he still supported the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Mr.Vaiko said: ``There is no change in my stance.'' This needed no elaboration. He had taken up the cause of suffering Tamils the world over, particularly Sri Lankan Tamils.

Mr.Vaiko said there was no communication from the LTTE on his arrest. ``There has been no communication between me and Prabakaran or anyone in the LTTE at any time.'' The LTTE's London-based ideologue, Anton Balasingham, telephoned him when he was in Chicago and expressed concern that he could be arrested when he went back to Tamil Nadu. ``The feelings for fellow Tamils run in my blood. I would fight for their rights anyday, anywhere,'' said Mr. Vaiko.

Mr.Vaiko criticised the Sri Lankan President, Chandrika Kumaratunga, for having dissolved Parliament. The dissolution was done with the intention of the sabotaging the peace process. This was happening when the whole world wanted the talks between the Government and the LTTE to succeed, he said.

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