• TELO, PLOTE, Wiggy, TNP, EPRLF & CSOs sign agreement, ITAK & TNPF refrain, subcomm. to decide   
• Wiggy’s change of heart motivated by failed power devolution promises of the South 

With the declaration of the Presidential Election round the corner, several Tamil political parties and representatives from civil organisations have reached an agreement to present a Tamil common candidate for the forthcoming Presidential Election. 

The agreement was signed in Jaffna yesterday (22) by several parties including seven Tamil political parties and seven civil society representatives. The political parties include the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO) led by Opposition Parliamentarian Selvam Adaikkalanathan, the People’s Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) led by MP Dharmalingam Siddharthan, the Tamil People’s National Alliance (TPNA) led by MP, President’s Counsel (PC) C.V. Wigneswaran, the Tamil National Party (TNP) led by attorney-at-law N. Srikantha, and the Eelam People’s Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) led by Suresh Premachandran. The Tamil People General Assembly, which includes several Tamil civil organisations, also signed the agreement.

When contacted by The Daily Morning yesterday, Wigneswaran confirmed that the parties involved in the agreement would form a subcommittee composed of their representatives which will decide on the Tamil Presidential common candidate, who will be announced once a final decision is reached. Speaking further on his decision to support a common Tamil candidate, MP Wigneswaran explained his shift from endorsing President Ranil Wickremesinghe, citing the President's failure to deliver on promises related to the devolution of power as the primary reason for his change in stance.

“The candidates from the South come and make various promises but fail to deliver them. That is why we decided to put forward a Tamil candidate. The Tamil common candidate would not win the Election. But, he would be able to tell the world that these are the problems that have not been solved for decades,” Wigneswaran added.

Despite the broad agreement among Tamil parties, the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK) represented by M.A. Sumanthiran PC and the Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF), led by attorney-at-law Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, did not sign the agreement. However, speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday, ITAK Leader and Opposition MP S. Sritharan clarified the Party’s current stance. “Certain political parties in the North have agreed to field a common Presidential candidate, yet, the ITAK has not made any conclusion about the matter,” Sritharan stated. He emphasised that a decision would be taken collectively by the Party’s Central Committee, which is set to meet next month (August).