TNA picks Muslim for northern provincial council

The Tamil National Alliance, which won last week's historic northern provincial elections in Sri Lanka, has named a Muslim and a women member of the party to fill two bonus seats.

Suresh Premachandran, TNA's senior leader, said that a Muslim from Jaffna and a woman from the former LTTE heartland from Mullaithivu are to be appointed to the two bonus seats claimed by the party under the proportional representation system.

TNA's opting for a Muslim representative was significant as the LTTE, of which TNA was being branded a proxy, had chased Jaffna Muslims as part of their ethnic cleansing.

The party's selection of a woman from Mullaithivu will increase the number of women to two in the 30-member TNA.
 

Ananthi Saseetharan, wife of a former LTTE senior, was elected with the second most popular vote.

Premachandran said the party at its meeting held in Jaffna today had deferred taking a decision on the swearing-in of their members and deciding on the council of ministers.

The TNA secured 30 of the 38 seats to the council, including two bonus seats.