Collective leadership for TELO

By Kelum Bandara For Daily Mirror 4th sep 2009 In what appeared to be a significant political development, the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO) has appointed a 12-member action committee to handle the functions of the party leadership. A constituent party of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), TELO whose president is Selvam Adaikkalanathan and leader M.K. Sivajilingam has four members in parliament. The party president and leader are out of the country at present. The seven members of the party’s politburo are Mr. Adaikkalanathan, Mr. Sivajilingam, Kalmunai Municipal Council opposition leader Henry Mahendran, S.A. Thavanathan, S. Rubarajah, General Secretary Presena Indrakumar Vino Noharathalingam. The five others are N. Sri Kantha, S. Nimalaraj, Vinthan Kanagaratnam and two Diaspora Tamil engineers in London J. Rajah and T. Sampanthan. Party sources said the decision for a collective leadership was a conciliatory move taken in consultation with the leaders now in India. The TELO plans to hold its convention before November 30 and hopes to be a vibrant political entity of the TNA. With the new structural changes taking effect, the action committee will exercise and discharge leadership authority while the general secretary will deal with matters pertaining to the Elections Commissioner.