What next for TNA the largest minority party in Sri Lanka!

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has to decide whom to support at the next presidential election. The TNA who represent the affected people in the two provinces, who with the rest of the people in the country were relieved when the guns were silenced to end the brutal war in May 2009. For nobody was in favor of the cruel civil war of three decades that brought them only destruction and misery, more so the supporters of TNA who were most demoralized by the war. When the war was over the TNA had expected the rulers to resolve the post war issues of the people, demobilize the surplus security forces and begin to reconstruct the war battered war zones; at the same time replace the draconian constitution with a new constitution. Regrettably, the rulers who embraced politics with religion had different plans that resulted in the people living in the previous war zones living with negative peace for over a decade. Though TNA has previously supported the United National Party (UNP) led alliance candidates at many Presidential elections and this time it will not happen automatically. There is no rush as the UNP is yet to nominate its presidential candidate, but this time the affected people expect TNA to take up the grievances faced by them with all the probable presidential candidates individually with the view to resolve all the war related issues to enable lasting peace in these previous war zones. In addition, TNA needs to know where these candidates stand on the constitution, their thoughts on devolution of power as a political solution to the ethnic problem, etc.

‘No matter how hard the past, you can always begin again’ – Buddha. However, fact remains that if one side extends the hand of friendship, the other side also needs to reciprocate to make the effort a success. The people of Sri Lanka therefore awaits to see how the probable presidential candidates react to the demands of TNA, more so the minorities living in all round the island.

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Siva Sivapragasam on Aug 23, 2019 at 1:50 am

It appears in the current political scenario the voting strength of the minorities (Tamils,upcountry Tamils and Muslims ) will decide the winner.The votes of the Tamils in the North and East will be the biggest chunk of the minority votes.Sinhala parties have been playing the same tune and voicing the same rhetoric before elections that they will solve the ethnic issue if they are elected .The past has proved these “election gundus” are only empty promises and never implemented.To prevent a similar situation again the TNA should enter into a written agreement with any party that is willing to implement the 13th.amendment fully with suitable changes in the police and land powers acceptable to borth parties.The agreement can be made public or secret but with a clause for litigation and time specified for implementation.This is perhaps the only way to get the winning party to keep their election promises.

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Northern Breeze on Aug 23, 2019 at 10:08 am

Bitter Truth is as the ethnic issue affects the minorities it is the leaders of their political parties should work as a team and not back candidates for perks as in the past. Only then they could exert pressure on the leaders of the main political parties UNP, SLFP, JVP and SLPP that are all controlled by the majority community to get the ethnic problem resolved once and for all.
That’s possible only if the leaders of all minor parties put aside their differences and work together to come up with a common minimum demand and present it to all the presidential hopefuls. Whoever supports their plan with justifiable changes should make the plan public before the election . Then people will vote for him and Sri Lanka will get a President acceptable to the whole country.

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