Presidential Election And The Tamil Dilemma

Sampanthan

By S. I. Keethaponcalan -December 2, 2014 

Dr S.I. Keethaponcalan

Will there be a Tamil boycott of the election? Last week, in an unexpected move, Maithripala Sirisena, General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, was declared the common opposition candidate for the forthcoming presidential election scheduled to be held on January 8, 2015. Now, it is clear that the presidential election will be a two-horse race between President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Maithripala Sirisena, although, as usual, there will be many more candidates on the list. Until Sirisena’s entry was announced, the Sri Lankan Tamil position vis-à-vis the election was simple and straightforward. They would have voted for a UNP or UNP approved candidate without even the endorsement of the TNA. The Sirisena candidacy has altered this situation considerably.

Sirisena’s entry as the common candidate has created two specific dilemmas within the Tamil community. First, since the end of the war, a majority of the Sri Lankan Tamils have rejected not only the president but also the government and government allies. They have resisted voting for the government and government-sponsored parties or groups. They assume that the government is responsible for the post-war difficulties they encounter. This was one reason why the Eealm People’s Democratic Party (EPDP), despite undertaking substantial economic development projects in the North, could not win elections. Therefore, voting for the incumbent president in the presidential election was not an option for a majority of them. If they participate in the election, they have to vote for a person who until recently was part of the very same government they do not want to support. Maithripala was not an ordinary member. He was one of the leaders and he vehemently defended the government policies, which the Tamils see as problematic. This factor could mute their enthusiasm for the election and voting.Read More