R Sampanthan says Tamil National Alliance has proposed to field a Tamil candidate (File)
Colombo:
Sri Lanka’s Tamil political party is planning to field a candidate from an ethnic minority in the presidential election to offer them a credible and acceptable political solution, a senior community leader said.
Sri Lanka is scheduled to hold its next presidential election in the last quarter of 2024, with a new president to be elected in mid-November.
Senior Tamil leader Sampanthan, while addressing reporters at his residence in the eastern port area of Trincomalee, said Tamils will benefit greatly from the upcoming presidential elections as they support a leader who promises to pass an acceptable Political solutions to candidates who address all minority issues.
He said the political parties forming the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) have proposed to field a Tamil candidate. But he added that Tamil people must understand that such a candidate will not be able to garner much support, so all parties must decide on the best course of action.
Mr. Sampanthan stressed that candidates who present credible and acceptable political solutions for Tamils by merging the Northern and Eastern Provinces should be an important political factor for Tamils.
When asked whether Tamil people would support current President Ranil Wickremesinghe if he comes forward as a candidate, R Sampanthan said it would depend A meeting with him after he handed over his nomination for election.
Since 1982, Tamil candidates have contested in Sri Lanka’s presidential elections, but in most elections they have generally supported the opposition front-runner against the sitting president.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
