ITAK, TNA’s dominant alliance, declines to accommodate Tamil parties

Ilankai Tamil Arashu Katchchi (ITAK), the dominant party of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), declined a request to accommodate other Tamil parties except its traditional allies to form a broad political alliance, an official said.

A number of Tamil parties based in the north have reached out to join the TNA for a political alliance in view of the local authorities’ elections pending at the moment.

TNA spokesman MP Ilankai Tamil Arashu Katchchi (ITAKtold Daily Mirror, his party declined to form such an alliance with the political parties and groups that were formally with them. However, he said the traditional alliance of the ITAK-TELO and PLOTE would continue to remain.

“Our politburo took a decision not to tie up with these other parties for an electoral alliance,” he said.

EPRLF (Eelam People’s Revolutionary Liberation Front) led by former MP Suresh Premajayantha, Tamil Makkal Kooteny led by MP C.V. Wigneswaran and Tamil National Party led by former MP N. Srikantha are the ones that sought to team up with the TNA.