TNA says north-east de-merger only supports LTTE cause

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian MK Sivajilingam told BBC Sandeshaya that the party is to officially announce their policy within the next few days.

A separate administration for the eastern province was announced after the Supreme Court ruling that the temporary merger of the north and the east has violated the constitution.

However, the TNA legislator says the court ruling only annulled the way in which the temporary merger was established by the JR Jayawardene government.

The government is pushing those supporting a united Sri Lanka towards a separate country TNA MP, MK Sivajilingam

Mr. Sivajilingam said the government still could help resolve the national question by taking steps to legally merger the two provinces, one of the major demands of the Tamils in Sri Lanka.

"The government is pushing those supporting a united Sri Lanka towards a separate country," he told BBC Sinhala.com.

The TNA that supports a devolution of power under a united Sri Lanka, the MP said, could not approve the government's move to establish a separate administration for the eastern province.

The ultimate result of the government's strategy will be those who support devolution in a united country to change their policy to support a separate country for Tamils, he said.

The Tamil Tigers have been fighting for a separate country for Tamils in Sri Lanka.