Kuala Lumpur – The dateline Datuk S.Sothinathan set for himself to conclude a peace deal with MIC President Datuk Seri Dr S.Subramaniam, for his faction to return to MIC will be expiring in two days – on 30th September 2016 to be precise. However questions and doubts still looms whether Sothinathan would be able to convince the whole faction to join back MIC as sources pointed out of serious differences of opinion within key leaders of so called “Palanivel faction”.
A source close to the faction said, Sothinathan summoned key leaders of his faction today afternoon for a briefing but the meeting ended without any conclusion in sight. As it goes, the source pointed out that the faction is heading for a split between Sothinathan’s supporters and others.
The crux of the matter seems to be unhappiness among key leaders of the faction that they were not briefed by Sothinathan about proposals of the settlement and the outcome of his meetings with MIC President Dr S.Subramaniam and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
Another bone of contention is the lack of any announcement or commitment on the part of MIC leadership or Barisan Nasional as to the terms of settlement for the key leaders of Palanivel faction to consider and debate upon.
“Sothinathan’s own fault”
“It looks like the negotiations are tailor-made for Sothinathan himself and the outcome may benefit him and one or two others but not the majority of us. It looks like at the end of the day Sothinathan will emerge as the hero at our expense. So we want something firm in writing or official statements before we can agree to return. The prevailing mood among all of us is to return to the party but we want to know on what terms we are being taken back. Right now none of us know what is happening and it is only Sothinathan’s words which we have to take”, the key leader further said.
Another source said that the key leaders of Palanivel faction are concerned about withdrawal of legal suits against RoS affecting MIC’s leadership and re-elections which are said to be part of the deal for the faction’s leaders to return to the party. They are not agreeable to withdraw the cases without some form of firm commitment.
The MIC source further said that Dr Subra himself has to make lot of “political sacrifices” in admitting Palanivel’s faction leaders. “Some of Subra’s own supporters, who stood by him during the leadership struggle with Palanivel, are questioning the rationale in taking back the group which has ridiculed his leadership all these years. Now, it looks like some of the nominated CWC members who are hard-core supporters of Subra, have to vacate their positions to accommodate some of Palanivel faction’s leaders. We must appreciate that Subra is doing all these for unity to prevail within the party and community”, the MIC source noted.
“How many would follow Sothinathan?”
In the last two days some Tamil media reports and social media have begun speculations that there are rifts between some leaders of Palanivel’s faction. The reports claimed that Sothinathan’s negotiations with Subra are self-centred and aimed at personally benefiting Sothinathan himself and not the whole faction. The reports also claimed that the faction’s leaders are solidly behind K.Ramalingam, the former chairman of MIC Batu Division who acts as the Secretary General for Palanivel’s faction.
Sources close to Sothinathan said he is now at the cross-roads, with immense pressure to make a crucial decision in his political career, whether to join back MIC with his supporters with the blessings of party President Dr Subramaniam and Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak or to abandon his negotiation efforts and remain with the Palanivel’s faction.
-R.Mutharasan