Sri Lanka's former Tamil Tigers drop from contesting elections with ruling party

Sri Lanka's ruling party has decided not to allow any former members of the Tamil Tigers to contest as their candidates at the upcoming northern provincial council election, which is being held for the first time since a three decade war ended in 2009, local media reports said here Monday. The Sri Lankan government defeated the Liberation Tamil Tigers of Eelam (LTTE) in 2009 and rehabilitated several of their prominent members, who were subsequently released. Former LTTE spokesman, Velayutham Dayanithi alias Daya Master, had applied to contest the elections in September under the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA), which is headed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa. However, local media citing UPFA sources reported that he would not be given the opportunity to contest the election as a candidate from the ruling party. Daya Master then told several media outlets that he had not been officially informed by the government. The former spokesman of LTTE last month received the membership of the main constituent party of ruling alliance, Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), following an extensive interview with a ministerial panel. Around 40 individuals from the Northern Province including the LTTE's former women's political wing leader Subramanium Shivathavi alias Thamilinihas have sought candidature of the ruling SLFP for the Northern Provincial Council election. However, political sources have indicated to local media that it is unlikely they will be given the chance to contest.