This Presidential Election Is Unique; Tamils Should Vote For The Survival Of Democracy: GTF

January 3, 2015 

This presidential election is unique in that it does not even speak a word about the decades of conflict or war or the post-war atrocities but only about failure of democracy and rule of law in the country, says Rev FatherS J Emmanuel, President of Global Tamil Forum.

Rev. Dr S.J. Emmanuel

Issuing a statement today he said; “I prefer to give only one answer as to why Tamils are asked by GTF to vote and that for the survival of democracy and rule of law.

“We Tamils of Sri Lanka are unfortunately caught up in a pseudo democracy bequeathed by the British colonials to the then Ceylon, namely a a Sinhala-Buddhist-majoritarian democracy, which from the beginning was an exclusive sinhala buddhist nationalism detrimental to all minorities.

“For the last 66 years we have been victims of the worst human right violations and our democratic protests as well as our militant struggle have been crushed and even today we are labeled as separatists and terrorists and considered scape-goats for all evils in the Country.

“This presidential election is unique in that it does not even speak a word about the decades of conflict or war or the post-war atrocities but only about failure of democracy and rule of law in the country.

“Hence Tamils, though victimised for decades and even marginalised in this election, still have the good of the country and of all peoples at heart and wish the triumph of democracy and rule of law. It is in this spirit that Tamils have been called to exercise their franchise for the survival of democracy and rule of law.”

Significance And Challenges Of The TNA Decision

By S. I. Keethaponcalan –January 3, 2015

Dr S.I. Keethaponcalan

Sri Lanka’s main Tamil political party, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA)made the decision to back the opposition common candidate Maithripala Sirisena about ten days before the election. The decision was not easy as the party was under pressure from internal as well as external groups to either boycott the election or to stay neutral. The party finally came out and announced the decision on December 30, 2014. This was a significant move.

First, the boycott call came from within the Tamil community in Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora in the West. Locally, rival Tamil parties such as the Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF), leading members of the TNA, and Tamil civil society groups resisted the idea to participate in the election. Some of them wanted the TNA to stay neutral and other advocated for a boycott. In a way, the TNA strengthened the call for a boycott and thus the pressure on itself through earlier pronouncements that the party had no confidence in either (major) candidates. Sanity however, prevailed. Now we know that the party is not boycotting the election and not staying neutral. The TNA has become a partner in the common opposition alliance.

In the last few years Tamil politics was stalemated due to the attitude and policies of the Sri Lankan government and the TNA. Now, the party has decided to vote for a change. Therefore, if the opposition alliance wins the election, the TNA will have an opportunity to play a more proactive role in the Sri Lankan politics and promote the interest of the community that it represents within accepted parameters. A decision to stay neutral or boycott the election would have further isolated the party from mainstream politics. The decision has the potential to undo the isolation the party faced thus far, which in turn could solve some of the major problems. If elected, the new government led by Sirisena and the TNA just need to be reasonable.Read More