Sajith Premadasa waves upon his arrival on the election fee workplace in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sept. 22, 2024. | Photograph credit score: AP
Sri Lankan opposition chief Sajith Premadasa, who misplaced to leftist chief Anura Kumara Dissanayake in Saturday’s (September 21, 2024) presidential election, has secured the most important share of votes from the Tamil minority, information launched by the Sri Lanka Election Fee confirmed.
Premadasa gained greater than 40% of the votes within the Tamil-majority areas of the north, east and centre of the island. Notably, the chief of Samagi Jana Balawegaya gained extra votes than P. Ariyanethiran, a “frequent Tamil candidate” put ahead by some political actors and civil society teams.
Weeks earlier than the election, the distinguished Tamil social gathering Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) pledged its assist to Premadasa, who additionally gained Tamil votes within the 2019 election when he confronted Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Following the social gathering’s announcement, a few of its personal members backed Ariyanethiran and campaigned for him, reflecting deep divisions inside the Tamil political group and the primary social gathering.
Whereas supporters of the Tamil candidate argued that they’d misplaced religion within the southern management and wished to “ship a message” to the worldwide group, others opposed the transfer on the grounds that it could weaken the Tamils’ bargaining energy. Some commentators even referred to as it “political suicide.”
In a publish on social media platform ‘X’ after Dissanayake’s victory, ITAK member and Jaffna legislator MA Sumanthiran stated: “Congratulations @anuradisanayake on a shocking victory, achieved with out resorting to racial or non secular chauvinism. Our because of the Tamil folks of the North and East who voted for @sajithpremadasa rejecting others on the recommendation of #ITAK and confirmed the distinction on the electoral map.”
In the meantime, ITAK lawmaker Sivagnanam Shritharan stated the Tamil candidate had additionally secured a “appreciable share of votes” in northern and jap districts. “The odd Tamil candidate has delivered to the fore the load of the Tamil vote, and people who opposed the transfer or others who referred to as for boycotting the elections will face the results of their actions very quickly,” he stated. The Hindu.
Additional commenting on Dissanayake’s victory, he stated, “It’s clear that the Sinhala folks have voted for a frontrunner who will stand in opposition to corruption and be sincere, it’s heartening to see that. We’re desirous to see if Dissanayake is ready to work together with the Tamils as nicely, with honesty and sincerity,” he stated, referring to the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna victory. [JVP, Mr. Dissanayake’s party] Historical past of opposition to Tamil self-determination and the Indo-Lanka Accord which sought to deal with Tamil issues.
Mahendran Thiruvarangan, an instructional at Jaffna College, stated he seen the JVP’s victory as a “constructive end result” of a nationwide election essential for change. Nevertheless, he argued that the social gathering should extra brazenly introspect about its previous, together with its function in “fuelling Sinhala nationalism” and supporting the warfare, “in order that minorities don’t view them with suspicion”. “They haven’t but made an specific and agency dedication to devolution of energy, which shall be essential to profitable the belief of the Tamil minority,” he stated.
Revealed – September 22, 2024 10:35 pm IST
