TMVP, UPFA agree on seat for Pillayan

The Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pullikal (TMVP) and the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) have reached an agreement on giving TMVP leader Sivanesathurai ?Chandrakanthan, alias Pillayan, a seat in Parliament through the National list if he loses the election this month.

A TMVP spokesman said?that the TMVP had initially decided to contest the August 17 Parliament election independently.

However, he said a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was later signed with the UPFA for the TMVP to contest under the UPFA ticket.

The TMVP spokesman said that under the MoU, in the event Pillayan loses the Parliamentary election, he has been guaranteed a seat through the National list.

Pillayan was a former member of the LTTE and was later the Chief Minister of the Eastern Provincial Council while his former comrade in the LTTE Karuna Amman was a member of parliament.

Karuna Amman has not been given nominations to contest the election through the UPFA, nor has he been given a National list seat. (Colombo Gazette)