The Hindu : International : Rajapakse may get minority parties’ support

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Wednesday, Mar 15, 2006

International

International

Rajapakse may get minority parties’ support

V.S. Sambandan

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse is likely to win the support of key minority parties representing Muslims and Plantation Tamils in his peace efforts.

The emerging re-alignments come ahead of the March 30 local body polls. “The President has already initiated discussions with the Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC) and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), but nothing has been decided,” a senior aide to Mr. Rajapakse told µ. The two parties have backed Mr. Rajapakse’s peace efforts, but “there is no decision on that the two parties will join the Government.”

The significance of the support is more in the context of the broad-basing of the support for Mr. Rajapakse rather than the Parliamentary stability of the ruling United Peoples’ Freedom Alliance (UPFA), which already has a majority in the 225-member House.

We are co-ordinating with the Government to establish cordial relations,” Mr. R. Yogarajan, senior leader of the CWC told µ. The CWC has so far backed either the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) or the Opposition United National Party (UNP) to form successive Governments.

At the April 2004 Parliamentary and the November 2005 Presidential polls, these two parties backed the UNP and its Presidential candidate, the Opposition leader and former Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe.

For the March 30 local body election, the CWC has decided to support the SLFP in three electorates in central Sri Lanka. The CWC’s support, Mr. Yogarajan said, was not extended with the aim of securing positions. “We are not demanding or expecting an office in Government,” he said. He also said CWC MPs would continue to sit with the Opposition in Parliament.

The CWC also welcomed February’s Geneva talks between the Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The President “has shown flexibility” in the peace process, Mr. Yogarajan said.

According to indications, the SLMC would extend issue-based support to Mr. Rajapakse both for the peace process and other governance issues, but would not join the Government.

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