The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) extends its warmest congratulations to President-Elect Mr Maithripala Sirisena, says R. Sampanthan, the Leader, Tamil National Alliance.
Issuing a statement the TNA leader said; “The TNA extends to the people of Sri Lanka – in particular to the people of the North-East – its sincere thanks for extending their overwhelming support to President-Elect Mr Maithripala Sirisena in accordance with the advice of the TNA.
“The new President Mr Maithripala Sirisena has to address urgently many grave issues the country faces, including an honourable resolution of the national question so as to enable the Tamil speaking people of Sri Lanka to be true beneficiaries of democracy.”
R. Varathan / January 10, 2015
Beware! Communalism has not gone away. It will be there as a highly marketable commodity so long as there are vulnerable Sinhalese in the electorate possessed of communal prejudice. This is, in a bizarre way, natural in the circumstances. Besides, no government can banish all our urgent problems early and easily because they are all related to the availability of financial resources, which we are chronically short of. Graduate unemployment, general unemployment, unbearable Cost of Living, an economy in recession etc., are burning issues the politician can be counted upon to exploit to the fullest- with little consideration for responsibility or rationality.
Take the case of Mahinda Rajapakse himself. As he arrived in his home village of Medamulana yesterday, he reminded his supporters gathered there “it was the Tamils who voted me out” ??? It’s just a reminder who the “enemy” is. That is a sure sign of what is in store once the euphoria of the Maitripala Sirisena victory gradually fades away.
R. Varathan
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Rod / January 10, 2015
Tamils too try to be inclusive in Sri Lankan society without asking for them a separate administration.
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Lasanda / January 11, 2015
Before addressing so called grave issues, sirisena, chadrika,pakyasothi and ranil regime must be accepted by the sinhalise people. We have rejected this foolish regime.
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Agnos / January 11, 2015
The poster Naga above is a pathetic moron who still thinks it was the other ministers who brought disrepute to the Rajapaksas as if the latter were not the very embodiment of evil in themselves.
As an Eastern Tamil consumed by his regionalism, he has openly expressed his hatred for Jaffna Tamils in these forums, so it is hardly surprising he has found a kindred spirit in HLDM.
Any idiot can say that the new regime will run into trouble sooner or later. It is not at all clear that they will ever get 2/3 majority in parliament, even with a fresh elections, to abolish the executive presidency. And people who taste power rarely wish to give it up, so I suspect the new president will try to serve out at least one full term and drag out the abolition of executive presidency, unless pressured by those around him as well as the people.
But even incremental progress can happen only with a regime change.
I have been consistent in saying since 2009 that reconciliation is not possible without a regime change, and that the pursuit of justice for war crimes at the international level has to go on no matter what.
The reason is that the military, the police, the legislature ( look how all the criminal MP’s who remained with MR to the last, are tiptoeing back to the Maithripala camp), and the judiciary, the attorney general dept, will all retain the same criminal, mendacious staff in their ranks, despite some changes in leadership, so it is not possible to get any credible, real justice by any domestic investigations, even with a regime change, any time soon.
That MR still has the support of 47% voters, primarily the rural Sinhalese masses, makes it clear that the oath ahead is not easy.
But that should not prevent efforts at reconciliation at the national level with the new leadership, and the TNA should now pursue reconciliation vigorously while staying committed to certain core principles.
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Agnos / January 11, 2015
Sorry–the above was meant to be under HLD Mahindapala’s article on euphoria.
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