- Common political platform still on table
The Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) and the Democratic Tamil National Alliance (DTNA) have agreed to work together on an issue-by-issue basis, particularly on Local Government matters, while the possibility of developing a common political platform remains open, according to ITAK MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam.
Speaking to The Sunday Morning, Rasamanickam said that the two sides had held several rounds of discussions following the 2024 Parliamentary Elections, after contesting separately for the first time since their long-standing association within the broader Tamil National Alliance (TNA).
He said ITAK and the political parties that now constituted the DTNA had worked together under the TNA from the early 2000s until the 2024 Parliamentary Elections.
“There is some consensus between the two political entities. Since the elections, there have been several rounds of discussions between the two sides,” he said.
However, he clarified that the latest discussions were primarily focused on cooperation during forthcoming Local Government budget deliberations, with both sides agreeing to work together to retain control of those budgets.
On the possibility of a broader political arrangement, Rasamanickam said that developing a common political platform was something the parties should consider, particularly if another election was approaching.
He nevertheless stressed that the current understanding was based on cooperation over individual issues rather than a formal electoral alliance.
“Whenever an issue comes up, a decision will be made on how we should approach it. However, I don’t think we have come together as a formal electoral alliance yet,” he said.
Meanwhile, addressing the possibility of the ITAK contesting elections outside the Northern and Eastern Provinces, Rasamanickam said that the proposal had been discussed within the party for several decades and required a policy-level decision.
He noted that the ITAK had contested elections in districts outside the north and east, including Puttalam, during the 1960s and 1970s. However, a subsequent decision had limited the party’s electoral activities to the eight administrative districts of the north and east.
Rasamanickam said that the ITAK had considered contesting the last Local Government Elections in the Western Province, particularly in the Colombo Municipal Council, following requests from grassroots-level politicians who wanted to contest under what they considered a clean and uncorrupt political party.
However, he said that time constraints following the announcement of the election, coupled with the large number of applications received and the need to scrutinise prospective candidates, had made it difficult to proceed.
He noted that the consideration was specific to the Local Government Elections and that the ITAK had not decided to contest Parliamentary or Provincial Council Elections outside the north and east.