Tamil National Alliance (TNA) stalwart MP Eswarapatham Saravanapavan admitted that the minorities would have no choice but to support United National Front (UNF) candidate Sajith Premadasa if Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa was to be defeated at the upcoming presidential election. Below are excerpts of his interview with The Sunday Morning: How do you see Sajith Premadasa as the United National Party (UNP) presidential candidate? I think they have chosen the right candidate. As far as the Tamils are concerned, he said he will look into the best solution within the Constitution. So we have to somehow take that into account because he is not a person who has repeatedly made this promise. This is his first time. Previously, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa repeatedly promised it, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe also repeatedly promised it, but both failed. But Sajith Premadasa is fresh. He is quite young, so he should be able to mobilise support from all corners and keep his promise of bringing a solution for the ethnic issue, I presume. Personally, I have confidence in him. I noticed how he handled housing and related matters. He is a very humble person, so if he gets the proper professional advisors, he should be able to lead the country to a very bright future in a manner that is acceptable by everybody. During the 2015 presidential election, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) was quick to support United National Front (UNF) common candidate Maithripala Sirisena. Why then is there hesitation this time? I was not involved in the discussions that were held with Premadasa, but when the TNA parliamentary group meets our Party Leader R. Sampanthan, they will inform us of the Party’s stance. Do you think it’s because the last UNF candidate, President Maithripala Sirisena, failed to keep the promises he made? Not totally. The President tried to abolish the executive presidency but it was only done partially. At the same time, he looked into the issues of the Tamil people but that too not fully. Therefore, when the UNP took complete control of the Government, our matters were pushed back. We have to face our constituents who voted expecting that their issues would be solved but now we have been put in a precarious position. Consider the fact that the minorities would not vote for Gotabaya Rajapaksa and that the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) cannot beat the former; wouldn’t supporting Premadasa be the obvious choice for the TNA? At the end of the day, it is so. The Tamil people, especially in the North and East, may have in mind the 2009 incidents and may come out and vote to ensure that Rajapaksa doesn’t become President of the country. Solely in order to ensure that he doesn’t become president, they would vote for Premadasa. At the same time, if the TNA makes an announcement to support the latter, then naturally the vote will go to Premadasa. We will have to wait and see how things go. Whichever candidate the TNA picks, would your support be conditional? I personally feel it has to be. Last time, we didn’t have any conditions. It is not the first time. Go back over the last 70 years, how many times have promises been given only for nothing to happen? Naturally, we have to ensure conditions. It is not a question. It’s a matter entirely for the community. So what’s wrong with having conditions? And what would you say those conditions should be? There are four or five pending matters. The release of the political prisoners is one. Unless they give a kind of self determination, we will not have a proper identity. Then with regard to lands, still the lands are under the custody of the forces. So they will have to clear out from the North and East and allow the people to have proper freedom instead of being surrounded by armed forces. What do you see are the key objectives the next president should achieve during his tenure? His top priority should be to recognise the minority community as equal citizens of this county by having a proper constitution. We all are equal. (SG)