A coalition of nine Tamil nationalist parties has been formed to contest the upcoming local government elections under the conch symbol, under a new political formation known as the Democratic Tamil Nationalist Front (DTNF).
Speaking at a discussion in Inuvil, Jaffna, Suresh Premachandran, leader of the Eelam People’s Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF), announced that five parties from the Democratic Tamil National Alliance (DTNA), along with the Tamil People's National Alliance, Tamil National Green Organization, and Samathuva Party, which contested independently in the last parliamentary elections, have come together to form a unified front for the upcoming elections.
“The local government elections hold great significance for the Tamil people, necessitating unity among all Tamil political factions,” Premachandran stated. “We are committed to standing together in this election, ensuring that voices representing the Tamil community are brought together. Those who have not joined us today may do so in the future.”
The Democratic Tamil Nationalist Front (DTNF), as the coalition is named, will contest Jaffna and Kilinochchi electoral districts under the conch symbol, positioning itself as an alternative force to ITAK.
Following the recent parliamentary elections, Tamil political parties have been negotiating alliances to strengthen their position in local government elections. ITAK attempted to revive the now-defunct TNA by bringing its former allies back into the fold. However, this effort failed, as EPRLF, People’s Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE), and Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO) chose to form their own alternative coalition.
C.V.K. Sivagnanam, Acting President of ITAK, acknowledged the setback, stating that the party had tried to reunite former electoral partners, but negotiations collapsed when three former TNA-affiliated parties chose to align with the new coalition.
“We will have to face the polls separately and we will, but we are still open to the idea of working together among us (parties) when it comes to forming local government bodies,” Sivagnanam told the Sunday Times.
Meanwhile, concerns remain within the DTNF alliance over the inclusion of groups that were former paramilitary organisations or had previously worked closely with the Sri Lankan government.
ITAK, which once led the dominant Tamil National Alliance (TNA), now faces the challenge of campaigning alone. Former MP M.A. Sumanthiran, currently ITAK’s Acting General Secretary, outlined the party’s election strategy, stating “the country is with Anura (President Anura Kumara Dissanayake), but local people are with us.”
He emphasised that while the National People's Power (NPP) holds power at the national level, ITAK is seeking local grassroots control.
“For the next five years, the NPP is going to be in power at the centre. That does not mean we should let them handle local, grassroots-level affairs,” Sumanthiran said at a media briefing in Vadamaarachchi Press Club.
Sumanthiran was recently appointed the General Secretary of ITAK, following the resignation of P. Sathiyalingam, who has now been appointed to the government’s committee on constitutional affairs. For months the party has faced internal turmoil, with ongoing legal battles disputing the leadership of the party between Sumanthiran and parliamentarian S Shritharan.
Meanwhile, the Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF), led by MP Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, has announced it will contest the elections separately.
The TNPF recently invited the ITAK for discussion over collective action in Parliament regarding constitutional reforms. However, the ITAK declined, claiming it was “not appropriate” to do so whilst discussions regarding reform were ongoing. In a letter sent to the TNPF, Sivagnanam maintained that the ITAK would continue to adhere to the principles of "nationalism, autonomy and self-determination".
