Colombo: Political parties representing Indian-origin Tamils have forged a new alliance, while the main Muslim party remained with the government for the upcoming provincial polls.
Three of the island’s nine provincial councils are to go to mid-term polls early September.
“We have formed an alliance with Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC) and Upcountry People’s Front”, Mano Ganesan of the Democratic People’s Front (DPF), which is another minority Tamil party said. Ganesan said the CWC, UPF and DPF will be vying for votes from Tamils of Indian-origin living in the two districts of Ratnapura and Kegalla in the Sabaragamuva (southwestern) province. Sabaragamuva province along with north central province and the eastern province councils have been already dissolved mid-term to face polls in September. Ganesan’s DPF is an opposition party while CWC and UPF are both allies of the president Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Ganesan said both CWC and UPF stood little chance of winning representation in the Sabaragamuva council if they opted to go with the ruling coalition. (PTI)