SL Tamil political parties mull over presidential candidate from minority community
April 02, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka’s Tamil political parties are strategising to nominate a candidate from the minority community for the upcoming presidential election, aiming to present a credible and acceptable political solution, said a senior community leader.
Scheduled for the last quarter of 2024, Sri Lanka anticipates the presidential election, with the new president elected by mid-November at the latest.
During a press briefing at his residence in Trincomalee’s eastern district on Sunday, R. Sampanthan, a prominent Tamil leader, emphasised the importance of supporting a candidate committed to resolving all issues concerning the Tamil minority through an agreeable political solution.
Sampanthan highlighted that the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) member parties have proposed fielding a Tamil candidate.
However, he acknowledged the potential limitations in garnering widespread support for such a candidate, urging the parties to strategise accordingly.
Emphasising the significance of a candidate advocating for a credible political solution, Sampanthan emphassed the importance of addressing issues such as the merger of the north and east provinces.
Responding to inquiries about potential support for incumbent Ranil Wickremesinghe if he were to contest, Sampanthan indicated that such decisions would be contingent upon discussions following the submission of Wickremesinghe’s nomination papers.
Throughout Sri Lanka’s presidential election history since 1982, Tamil candidates have participated in the elections, often aligning with opposition front-runners against the incumbent in most instances.
