Fear of losing election prompts CWC attack: NUW

TUESDAY, 20 AUGUST 2013 

Nuwara Eliya District MP and National Workers Union (NWU) Deputy Leader S. P. Rajathurai told a news conference today that the attack orchestrated by the supporters of Minister Arumugam Thondaman was a reaction to his crossing over from the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) to the NWU.

Mr. Rajathurai said the CWC supporters feared that the Government would use him as a ‘trump card’ to defeat the CWC whose supporters had even alleged that he took large sums of money as an inducement to cross over.

He said this animosity was what prompted the attack. Mr. Rajathurai denied allegations against him and said the reason for his crossing over was because he sidelined by the CWC. He said within weeks of joining the NWU he was made the party’s deputy leader.
NWU Leader P. Digambaran said the attack was solely motivated by fear of defeat in the upcoming elections. He said the NWU could have retaliated but refrained from doing so because it did not believe in stooping to such levels to win an election. (Jehan Gunasekara)

Another victim of intraparty violence -NWU Kotagala organizer stabbed in Hatton

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Created On Tuesday, 20 August 2013 06:41

Category: General

After UPFA’s Digambaran and Thondaman clash in Kotagala

Kotagala organizer of the National Workers Union (NWU,) Kumar has been stabbed in Hatton Town after a clash between supporters of Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) and NWU, both constituent parties of United Peoples Freedom Alliance at Commercial Junction, Kotagala today (August 19.) 14 vehicles have been damaged and several individuals have been injured.

MPs P Digambaram and P Rajadurei (NWU) were traveling to Hatton from Nuwara Eliya in a convoy of vehicles when supporters Minister Arumugam Thondaman attacked them. Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) observes that this is the most serious election related instance of violence in Nuwara Eliya. Rajadurei, who recently resigned from the CWC, joined the NWU yesterday. With this, instances of election related violence rises to nine.

National Organzier of NWA Sridharan said their Kotagala organizer, Kumar was stabbed in Hatton Town while he was leaving home after lodging a complaint with the police. He has been admitted to Glendon hospital, Hatton

This is the latest in a series of violent incidents in Kotagala. CaFFE observes that due to the influence of Minister Thondaman, law is not properly implemented in the area. This is a scenario which we had noted in recent previous elections.