Lanka's Tamil Parties Plan To Field Presidential Candidate From Community

Sri Lanka's Tamil political parties are planning to field a candidate from the minority community in the presidential election to present a credible and acceptable political solution for them, a senior community leader said.

Sri Lanka is scheduled to hold the next presidential election in the last quarter of 2024 to elect a new President by mid-November.

Addressing reporters at his residence in the eastern port district of Trincomalee, senior Tamil leader R Sampanthan said that Tamils will be well served in the forthcoming presidential election by supporting a candidate who would pledge to resolve all issues concerning the minority through an acceptable political solution.

The political parties that form the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) have proposed to field a Tamil candidate, he said. But the Tamils must understand that such a candidate would not be able to pull much support and as such the parties must decide on the best course of action, he added.

Mr Sampanthan stressed that the candidate who would present a credible and acceptable political solution for the Tamils by merging the north and east provinces should be an important political factor for the Tamils.

Asked if the Tamils are likely to support incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe if he comes forward to be a candidate, R Sampanthan said it would depend on talks with him following his handing over of the nominations to contest the election.

In Sri Lanka's presidential election since 1982, Tamil candidates have contested the election but in most of them, they have by and large supported the Opposition front-runner against the incumbent.

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