Section ready to support President:

TNA split - Premajayantha

A group of Tamil National Alliance Parliamentarians were ready to give their support to President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the forthcoming Presidential election, Education Minister and UPFA General Secretary Susil Premajayantha said yesterday.

Addressing a function held at the Kaduwela Pradeshiya Sabha auditorium where about 1,000 UNP and JVP supporters joined the UPFA, he said the TNA was split into three groups.

One group who appreciated the development of the North and East implemented under the Uturu Vasanthaya program of President Mahinda Rajapaksa were the ones that would lend their support to him.

The faction led by TNA leader R.Sampanthan supported National Democratic Front leader Sarath Fonseka who up to now was acting on the instructions of UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, JVP leader Somawansa Amarasinghe, Western People’s Front Leader Mano Ganeshan and SLMC leader Rauf Hakeem.

But Fonseka was also acting under the instructions of the TNA leader Sampanthan, he noted. Minister Premajayantha said the TNA group had agreed to unconditionally support the President.

Today those UNP and JVP supporters and activists who had become disillusioned with the policies of their leaders who backed Fonseka were joining the UPFA to support President Rajapaksa. (wn)