Five Tamil councilors fled from Eastern Province due to threats - TNA
Mon, Sep 17, 2012, 10:41 am SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Sept 17, Colombo: Sri Lanka's major Tamil party Tamil National Alliance (TNA) says that five of the party's newly elected councilors of the Eastern Provincial Council (EPC) have fled to Colombo in fear of their lives.
TNA leader R. Sampanthan says unidentified persons have asked the councilors to support the government. He says that they have been promised perks and privileges in return of their support.
TNA won 11 seats in the Eastern Provincial Council and the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance won 14 seats of the 35-member Council.
Addressing a press conference held in Colombo on Saturday, the TNA leader R. Sampanthan said that the party was awaiting the response of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) to form a coalition rule in the EPC.
TNA has agreed to offer the Chief Minister position to the SLMC.
Sampanthan, who is to meet President Mahinda Rajapaksa today says that the TNA will extend support to the government to establish rule if the President requests. He added that the people of the Eastern Province have voted against the ruling coalition.

Sampanthan complains to MR

TNA Leader R. Sampanthan who met President Mahinda Rajapaksa today complained that Tamil National Alliance (TNA) members elected to the Eastern Provincial Council had been offered inducements and harassed, to force them crossover.

In a statement Mr. Sampanthan said the meeting at which Ministers Maithripala Sirisena and G.L. Peiris were present was arranged on an invitation by presidential secretary Lalith Weeratunge.

The President congratulated Mr. Sampanthan on securing the second highest number of seats at the EPC elections but Mr. Sampanthan but said that if the elections had been free and fair the TNA would have secured the most number of seats.