The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Ordinance will make councillors `all powerful,' says MDMK

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jul 22, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Ordinance will make councillors `all powerful,' says MDMK

Special Correspondent

Government should have consulted opposition parties

PARTY MEETING: MDMK general secretary Vaiko addressing district secretaries in Chennai on Friday. — Photo: M. Vedhan

CHENNAI : The Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam has criticised the State Government's move to do away with direct election to the posts of mayors and chairmen in the local body elections.

A resolution, adopted at a meeting of the high-level committee and governing council of the party here on Friday, said the proposed amendment in the local body election laws would make councillors "all powerful" and mayors and chairmen would be virtually under their control.

The new procedure would also lead to defection of councillors with "money" playing a major role.

It was unfortunate that the Government had promulgated the ordinance without consulting the opposition parties and its alliance partners.

False assurances

Condemning the growing attacks on Tamils by the Sri Lankan Army, the meeting said that the island Government was trying to get the support of the Indian Government by giving false assurances on power sharing with the Tamils.

To know the actual situation in Sri Lanka, the meeting urged the Centre to permit a delegation of Tamil MPs to meet the Prime Minister.

Opposing the supply of radars to the Sri Lankan Army by India, the meeting said the Indian Government should honour its decision, taken at an-all party meeting in 1999, of not supplying arms to Sri Lanka.

Allowance

The meeting wanted the Indian Coast Guard to help Sri Lankan refugees to reach Indian shores safely. Demanding an increase in the allowance for the refugees, it demanded proper upkeep of refugee camps.

Expressing concern over the frequent attacks on Indian fishermen by island navy, the meeting wanted the Centre to warn the the Sri Lankan Government against such attacks.

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