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TNA stakes claim for opp. leader’s post

10 Apr 2015 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

In the wake of Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa requesting the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) to nominate an MP for the post of opposition leader, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) with 14 seats in Parliament has written to the Speaker staking its claim for the post.

The letter signed by TNA General Secretary K. Thurairajasingham and Parliamentary Group Leader R Sampanthan states, “After the conclusion of the presidential election in January 2015 the UNP Leader has become the Prime Minister and several UNP MPs have been sworn in as Cabinet Ministers constituting the government. The SLFP Leader is the President and a member of the Cabinet (in fact the head of the Cabinet) and several UPFA MPs (in excess of 26) are ministers, some of them in the Cabinet.

“Therefore the Government is composed of both the UPFA and the UNP, disentitling both of those parties from occupying the seat of the opposition leader. No member of parliament elected from the UPFA or UNP can be the leader of the oposition. This clearly is the legal position as well as one that accords with parliamentary tradition, both of our country and the Commonwealth.

“The resultant position is that it is the ITAK that is entitled to the post of the opposition leader having 14 members in parliament. The DNA has seven members, one of whom is also a Cabinet Minister now,” the letter added.(By Kelum Bandara and Yohan Perera)

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TNA stakes claim for opp. leader’s post

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