TNA-SLMC to form alliance

By Kelum Bandara
In the wake of a likely snap presidential election, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has decided to explore the possibility of forming a united front with the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) and other parties having common interests, party officials said yesterday.
Initially, the TNA and the SLMC had planned a meeting on Saturday, but it was postponed. TNA Spokesman and parliamentarian Suresh Premachandran told Daily Mirror the meeting would be rescheduled for later this week. He said the two parties would discuss whether it would be feasible to form a common front to face whatever political challenges that may crop up.
“We have to explore the possibility of working on a common agenda,” he said.  Earlier, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also requested the TNA to team up with Muslim and upcountry Tamil parties. When asked whether the latest initiative was sequent to that request, Mr. Premachandran said, “It is one of the reasons.
We intend talking to the upcountry Tamil parties as well.”  Mr. Premachandran’s Eelam People’s Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) and the Ilankai Tamil Arachi Kachchi (ITAK)  which are part of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) had passed resolutions at their annual conventions to this effect.