The three-hour one-to-one meeting between Northern Province Chief  Minister C V Wigneswaran and Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader R Sampanthan on Friday failed to resolve the crisis in the TNA.

Speaking to the media, Wigneswaran said the talks were inclusive and that they would meet again.

Top TNA sources told Express that both sides stuck to their guns. Sampanthan accused Wigneswaran of stabbing the TNA in the back and backing a rival outfit and not running the Northern Administration with any sense of purpose.

Wigneswaran accused TNA leaders of developing a cozy relationship with the Colombo regime sacrificing the interests of the Tamils and running the TNA as a personal fiefdom.  According to some sources, Sampanthan was the more aggressive of the two.

Asked to comment on the decision to meet again, a top TNA leader said: “They must be buying more time.”

For the moment, both sides are publicly saying there is no intention to split the TNA. The controversial Tamil Makkal Peravai (TMP), which Wigneswaran formed recently, is to have its first working session in Jaffna on Sunday. It is expected to form some “subject” committees.

It will be interesting to see who all attend the Sunday meeting. There were many notable absentees at the inaugural meeting held at the Jaffna Public Library. No minister of the Northern Administration, except the Chief Minister, was present. No Northern Provincial Council member, other than one, attended. No TNA Member of Parliament was present.

Sources in Jaffna said that this was because the CM had alienated his ministers, Northern Provincial Council members and party MPs. He had disregarded the advice of some the ministers who are close to him, not to get identified with the Tamil Makkal Peravai . Chief Minister Wigneswaran not only attended the inaugural session, but also presided over it.

(The New Indian Express)