TNA yet to decide on whether to join govt if Maithri wins

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has not reached a decision on whether to join a government led by the common opposition's candidate Maithripala Sirisena if he should win the presidential election on January 8, said the TNA MP M. A. Sumanthiran.

Asked by LankaSri whether the TNA would join the government, Sumanthiran replied: "When a question was asked regarding this at a press conference the other day, [TNA leader] Sampanthan said we [TNA] had not made a decision on this yet."

"However, until the party takes a decision I would like to state my own views. My view is that we should not take part in such a government. There are many reasons for this," he said.

"However, at the beginning of Maithripala Sirisena's 100 days of campaigning, he proposed a National Consultative Council," Sumanthiran said, explaining the Council had been proposed at the JVP's request for a forum to discuss key policies affecting the country without being part of the government.

"In a situation that we too will not join the government - I think we won't join - there is a possibility that we will join the National Consultative Council. If that were to happen, then there is a possibility that we can take forward decisions and many matters within that."

Listened to full interview in Tamil here.

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