TULF not invited to all party meeting, Anandasangaree dismayed

22 October 2015 03:35 am

The Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) leader V. Anandasangaree, in a letter addressed to President Maithripala Sirisena, has expressed his dismay over the exclusion of his party from an all party meeting.

President Sirisena had, in writing, invited 21 political parties registered in the country to discuss a domestic mechanism for inquiring into the alleged war crimes -- following last month's resolution at the UNHRC in Geneva. The meeting, which is scheduled to be held at 5.00 pm today, at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo, had been convened in order to obtain suggestions from each political party regarding the proposed mechanism.

In the letter Mr. Anandasangari had said he was thoroughly disappointed with the principles adopted by the government when convening meetings of leaders of political parties.

“I wish to point out a very serious omission your officials have made, certainly not intentionally, to bring to your notice that the TULF is not qualified to be invited to participate at the meeting of leaders of Political Parties Your Excellency has convened, for the 22nd of this month. Earlier reports in the media specifically said that the leaders of all registered Political Parties are being invited.

"The latest reports say that only leaders of Political Parties represented in Parliament are invited,” he had said.

He had requested the President to adopt what he called a ‘fair model’ in this regard. (KB)