Tamil party's support to Lanka's oppn presidential candidate in dispute

A dispute has been brewing among the leaders of Sri Lanka's main Tamil party over its support to the main opposition challenger Sajith Premadasa in the September 21 presidential election.

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) on September 1 decided to back Premadasa in the election. The decision was taken at the central committee meeting of Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK), the main constituent of the TNA.

However, the party's president, S Sritharan, who was in the UK at the time, said there was no such decision and they would be backing the Tamil common candidate P Ariyanethiran.

Mavai Senathirajah, another party leader, told reporters on Wednesday that a party meeting held in Vauniya, with the participation of 10 executive committee members, decided to hold back the final decision on the matter until September 15.

Senior TNA leader M A Sumanthiran, however, said: ITAK decision to back Premadasa was final and is not under review.

The TNA had traditionally backed the main opposition