National Unity Alliance
National Unity Alliance தேசிய ஐக்கியக் கூட்டமைப்பு | |
---|---|
Founder | M. H. M. Ashraff |
Founded | 1999 |
Dissolved | 2010 |
Merged into | Sri Lanka Freedom Party |
Election symbol | |
Pigeon | |
The National Unity Alliance (Tamil: தேசிய ஐக்கியக் கூட்டமைப்பு) was a political alliance in Sri Lanka. Founded in 1999, the alliance ceased to exist in 2010 when its remaining members joined the Sri Lanka Freedom Party.
History[]
Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) leader M. H. M. Ashraff started discussions on forming a new political alliance in 1998.[1] The purpose of the alliance was to bring about unity among Sri Lanka's differing communities.[1] Although initial discussions weren't successful, the alliance was eventually registered with the Department of Elections as a political party on 23 August 1999 with the name National Unity Alliance (NUA).[1][2] Two political parties were members of the NUA - the SLMC and the Sri Lanka Progressive Front.[2][3][4][5] The aim of the NUA was to create a united Sri Lanka by 2012 and its motto was "Mother Lanka wants every citizen – All citizens want one Sri Lanka".[1][2]
Both the SLMC and the NUA were members of the governing People's Alliance (PA) but by 2000 relations between the SLMC/NUA and PA had become strained.[6] The SLMC/NUA nevertheless contested the 2000 parliamentary election in alliance with PA - in some electoral districts the SLMC fielded candidates under the PA whilst in others it fielded candidates under the NUA. Contesting in 13 electoral districts the NUA received 197,983 votes (2.29%), winning four seats in Parliament.[7][8] The SLMC also secured seven seats under the PA.
During the 2000 election campaign Ashraff was killed in a mysterious helicopter crash on 16 September 2000.[9][10][11] Just before his death Ashraff had sent faxes to the media stating that the SLMC and NUA had severed all ties with the PA.[9][12] Following Ashraff's death Rauff Hakeem became the SLMC's "thesiya thalaivar" (national leader) but there was a power struggle between Ashraff's widow Ferial Ashraff and Hakeem for control of the SLMC.[13][14] In June 2001 President Chandrika Kumaratunga dismissed Hakeem from the cabinet.[15][16] All SLMC/NUA ministers, including Ferial Ashraff, resigned from the government on the instructions of the SLMC leadership.[17][18] The SLMC leadership also decided that the SLCM should leave the PA and join the opposition.[14][17][19] However, Ferial Ashraff remained in the PA as leader of the NUA.[14] Three SLMC MPs loyal to Ashraff - Wimalaweera Dissanayake, U. M. Hanifa and U. L. M. Mohideen - also remained in the PA.[17][20]
Contesting under the PA, the NUA secured two seats in Parliament - Ashraff and M. H. Segu Isadean - at the 2001 parliamentary election. On 20 January 2004 the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) formed the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) as a successor to the PA.[21] The NUA joined the UPFA on 2 February 2004.[22] The NUA contested the 2004 parliamentary election under the UPFA and Ashraff and Isadean retained their seats. After the election Ashraff was appointed as a cabinet minister whilst Isadean became a deputy minister.[23][24][25]
The alliance became moribund thereafter and in February 2010 Ferial Ashraff and other NUA members joined the SLFP.[26][27][28] The alliance was de-registered as a political party in 2012.[29][30]
References[]
- ^ a b c d Salman, M. H. M. (27 January 2015). "Democracy without Opposition and the NUA". The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka).
- ^ a b c Peiris, Roshan (19 September 1999). "Ashraff's mission 2012: unity in diversity". The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka).
- ^ Weerarathne, Chitra (4 August 2001). "SC issues notice on Ferial". The Island (Sri Lanka).
- ^ Martinesz, Rodney (29 September 2001). "NUA case: Expulsion invalid - SC". Daily News (Sri Lanka).
- ^ "Govt. in legal, political quagmire". The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka). 10 June 2001.
- ^ "Helicopter crash probe launched". BBC News. 17 September 2000.
- ^ "Parliamentary General Election 2000 - All Island Result". Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original on 2012-12-19.
- ^ "Parliamentary General Election 2000 - Composition of Parliament". Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original on 2010-08-26.
- ^ a b "Key minister killed in Sri Lanka crash". BBC News. 16 September 2000.
- ^ "Ashraff dies in mystery crash". The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka). 17 September 2000.
- ^ "Minister Ashraff among 14 killed in helicopter crash" (PDF). Tamil Times. XIX (9): 4. 15 September 2000. ISSN 0266-4488.
- ^ "Final act". The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka). 17 September 2000.
- ^ Peebles, Patrick (2015). Historical Dictionary of Sri Lanka. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 167. ISBN 978-1-4422-5584-5.
- ^ a b c Farook, Latheef (23 December 2014). "SLMC: Liability on the Muslim community". Daily FT. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015.
- ^ "Rauff Hakeem removed from cabinet". TamilNet. 20 June 2001.
- ^ Subramanian, Nirupama (21 June 2001). "SLMC may offer issue-based support". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 9 February 2015.
- ^ a b c Satyapalan, Franklin R. (21 June 2001). "SLMC-NUA quit PA coalition". The Island (Sri Lanka).
- ^ de Silva, Nilika; Farook, Faraza (24 June 2001). "72-hour ultimatum to Ferial, SLMC rebels". The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka).
- ^ "Sri Lanka govt. faces collapse as Muslims leave". TamilNet. 20 June 2001.
- ^ "Former Minister and six others crossover to opposition". Policy Research and Information Unit, Presidential Secretariat. 21 June 2001. Archived from the original on 20 June 2012. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
- ^ "SLFP-JVP alliance signed in Colombo". TamilNet. 20 January 2004.
- ^ "Four Party Leaders sign pact with JVP-SLFP alliance". TamilNet. 2 February 2004.
- ^ "PART I : SECTION (I) — GENERAL Appointments & c., by the President" (PDF). The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Extraordinary. 1335/24. 10 April 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 December 2014.
- ^ "The new UPFA Cabinet". The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka). 11 April 2004.
- ^ "JVP boycotts UPFA cabinet swearing in ceremony". TamilNet. 10 April 2004.
- ^ "NUA joins SLFP". Daily News (Sri Lanka). 19 February 2010.
- ^ "NUA leader Ashraff joins Sri Lanka Freedom Party". Colombo Page. 18 February 2010.
- ^ "Nandana, Ferial join SLFP". The Island (Sri Lanka). 19 February 2010.
- ^ Bandara, Kelum (1 February 2012). "Elections Dept. cancels registration of 3 political parties". The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka).
- ^ "Elections Dep. cancels registration of three parties". adaderana.lk. 1 February 2012.
- National Unity Alliance
- 1999 establishments in Sri Lanka
- 2010 disestablishments in Sri Lanka
- Defunct political party alliances in Sri Lanka
- Islamic political parties in Sri Lanka
- Political parties disestablished in 2010
- Political parties established in 1999
- Political parties in Sri Lanka