{"id":142646,"date":"2015-04-10T13:34:31","date_gmt":"2015-04-10T08:04:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=142646"},"modified":"2015-04-21T19:36:38","modified_gmt":"2015-04-21T14:06:38","slug":"itak-makes-fresh-bid-for-opp-leader-role-writes-to-the-speaker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/itak-makes-fresh-bid-for-opp-leader-role-writes-to-the-speaker\/","title":{"rendered":"ITAK Makes Fresh Bid For Opp Leader Role, Writes To The Speaker"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Ilankai Thamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK<\/span><\/a>) has today written to the Speaker clarifying its position regarding the post of the Leader of the Opposition.<\/p>\n

“No member of parliament elected from the UPFA or UNP can be the Leader of the Opposition. 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 Leader of the Opposition, having 14 members of parliament.” the ITAK said in the letter.<\/p>\n

We publish below the letter in full;<\/p>\n

\"Rajavayothi<\/a>

Rajavayothi Sampanthan – The Leader TNA<\/p><\/div>\n

Hon Speaker,<\/p>\n

Parliament,<\/p>\n

Sri Jayawardenapura-Kotte.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Dear Sir,<\/p>\n

Leader of the Opposition<\/strong><\/p>\n

We write in relation to the above matter to put on record our position with regard to the above.<\/p>\n

At the conclusion of the General Election held in April 2010, the Commissioner General of Elections informed Parliament that contestants from four political parties were returned to Parliament and the current Parliament therefore is constituted by members of four registered political parties, namely, the United People\u2019s Freedom Alliance (UPFA), the United National Party (UNP), the Ilankai Thamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK) and the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) and no other. The UPFA formed the government and the UNP as the largest party in the opposition, was given the post of Leader of the Opposition.<\/p>\n

After the conclusion of the Presidential Election in January 2015 the Leader of the UNP has become the Prime Minister and a number of the members of parliament of the UNP are Cabinet Ministers constituting the government. The Leader of the UPFA is the President and a member of the Cabinet (in fact the head of the Cabinet) and a number of UPFA members of parliament (in excess of 26) are Ministers, some of them in the Cabinet. Therefore the Government today is composed of both the UPFA and the UNP, disentitling both of those parties from occupying the seat of the Leader of the Opposition. No member of parliament elected from the UPFA or UNP can be the Leader of the Opposition. 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 Leader of the Opposition, having 14 members of parliament. The DNA has 7 members, one of whom is also a Cabinet Minister now.<\/p>\n

We consider it necessary to write this to you in view of the views expressed by you on Wednesday, the 8th<\/sup> of April 2015.<\/p>\n

K Thurairajasingham \u00a0– \u00a0General Secretary<\/p>\n

R Sampanthan MP – Leader, Parliamentary Group<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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