I am no Indian choice to be north CM, says C V Wigneswaran

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka's retired Supreme Court judge C V Wigneswaran, named the main Tamil party TNA's choice for chief minister of the northern province, has dismissed reports that he won the position because of backing by India.


"I have seen press stories. There is no truth in them. No one from India has spoken to me or I have spoken with anyone (from) India," he told the local Neth FM radio.

The media reports here had claimed that Wigneswaran, a political fresher, had won the nod over the political veteran Mavai Senathirajah as the former judge was favoured by India.

Asked how he would reconcile his entering politics when his role was in the judiciary, Wigneswaran said he was convinced to enter politics after persistent requests to do so. "I was very reluctant but was convinced by many," he said.

On the vexed question of land and police powers to the provinces which is being bitterly opposed by the Sinhala majority dominated southern politicians, Wigneswaran said the police powers were about protection to people.

"It is not right when people outside want to make decisions on land issues in a province".

If elected, he said he would work towards helping people who had suffered since the end of the war four years ago.

He hinted that he would work in cooperation with President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

"You can't fight the President or his representative the Governor. So need to work so as not to create friction. This is the law according to the thirteenth amendment".

Wigneswaran, who entered Bar in 1979, served as a judge in the Supreme Court between 2001-2004.

He is extremely articulate in Sinhala, the majority language. Despite being Tamil his children are married to Sinhala families.

Reacting to his candidacy, the ultra nationalist Sihala Urumaya or the JHU said it was a reflection that Tamil separatist movement's extension of the separatist battle to diplomacy and international forum.

"He is a legal luminary and intellectual but aims to represent the most extremist elements among the Tamils. This shows that the Tamil separatist struggle has assumed a new dimension which will be a challenge to the unitary state of Sri Lanka," JHU deputy secretary Udaya Gammanpila said.