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Thamil Makkal Thesiya Kuttani (TMTK) leader C. V. Wigneswaran, MP, announced on the 18th that his party had nominated Pakkiyaselvam Ariyanethiran as an independent candidate in the upcoming Presidential Election to spotlight the challenges faced by the Tamil community in Sri Lanka. Wigneswaran, a former Supreme Court judge, stressed that a significant vote for Ariyanethiran, a former Batticaloa District MP, would bolster the Tamil cause. This move comes despite the failure of Tamil political parties represented in Parliament to unite behind a single Tamil candidate.
Ariyanethiran, who served in Parliament from 2004 to 2015 and was known for his close ties to the now-defunct LTTE, has been a controversial figure. His candidacy has faced opposition from within the Tamil political sphere, particularly from the Illankai Thamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK), the main party within the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), which holds ten parliamentary seats.
Wigneswaran specifically criticized ITAK’s Jaffna District MP M. A. Sumanthiran for undermining Ariyanethiran’s candidacy. Despite this, Wigneswaran affirmed that the campaign in the former North-East Province would proceed as planned, with the first rally scheduled in Mullaitivu.
The ninth presidential election, set for September 21, is expected to see over 17 million eligible voters, including a significant Tamil electorate. While some Tamil groups, led by Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam’s Ahila Ilankai Thamil Congress (AITC), advocate for boycotting the election to highlight Tamil grievances, Wigneswaran argues that supporting Ariyanethiran’s candidacy is a more constructive approach.
The ITAK, meanwhile, has initiated disciplinary measures against Ariyanethiran, with Sumanthiran indicating that the party is still evaluating the manifestos of the major candidates, including Sajith Premadasa, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, and incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe, before deciding on its support.
Wigneswaran’s stance has further complicated the Tamil political landscape, which has seen its parliamentary representation decline over the years. Despite the internal divisions, Wigneswaran insists that a strong vote for Ariyanethiran would send a powerful message about the ongoing difficulties faced by the Tamil community.
