Post offered to CWC not relevant to plantation sector: Sivalingam

Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC) chief Arumugam Thondaman had refused to accept a ministerial post in the newly appointed Cabinet as he was not offered a position where he could do anything for the development of plantation area Tamils, the party has told the BBC’s Tamil service Thamil Osai.

CWC’s Mutthu Sivalingam has told the BBC that Thondaman had been offered the post of Livestock Development only and that his party had told the President beforehand that it was not in a position to accept it.

However, Mr. Sivalingam who had already accepted the post of Deputy Minister of Economic Development, has said that the government was to offer a ministry incorporating several functions that could be of help to develop the plantation areas and offer it to Mr. Thondaman.

“We have discussed matters with President Mahinda Rajapaksa and we are confident that he will act on the matter,” the Deputy Minister has said.

Though the CWC was able to muster a lesser number of seats this time, compared to the last general elections, the party has still not lost its bargaining power, Mr. Sivalingam is reported by Thamil Osai as saying. He has also added that the plantation sector being a vital component of the economy of the island, and the CWC enjoying the patronage of the larger number of the plantation workers, they believed that the government would not neglect them.

“The CWC has the major support of the upcountry plantation workers. So our party is still strong and cannot be overlooked by other political forces,” Mutthu Sivalingam is reported as claiming.

Mr. Sivalingam has attributed the loss of parliamentary seats for the CWC to the changes in the political atmosphere and the shift of the voting patterns of the plantation workers. But this has not affected the CWC’s voter base, he has added.