A request is made for the recognition of the Tamil people and the consideration of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution from the next Government, said President’s Counsel and Opposition Parliamentarian C.V. Vigneswaran, while speaking on behalf of the Tamil common candidate, P. Ariyanethiran.

“The Tamils in the North and the East preferred independent Presidential candidate and former President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Samagi Jana Balawegaya and Samagi Jana Sandhanaya candidate and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa to the National People’s Power (NPP) candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Why? This is because of the anti-Tamil activities that the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) carried on doing,” Vigneswaran told The Daily Morning yesterday (22). “So, he (Dissanayake) should realise that the Tamil people reject him because they (JVP-led NPP) have been working against their interest.”

Vigneswaran stated that neither he, nor his collective will accept any ministerial positions, and said that despite their poor performance at the poll, the Tamil common candidate was meant as a unifier for the Tamil people. 

“The Tamil common candidate has brought the Tamil people together in unity,” Vigneswaran said. “The number of votes doesn’t matter as we are only a few people and many people are comfortable voting for certain candidates.” Vigneswaran also said that several members of the Tamil population fear violence from the Sinhalese community if they do not vote for a main candidate. 

“The Sinhalese people have sought a change by abandoning their usual parties and by voting for Dissanayake,” Vigneswaran said. “However, the Tamil people need a change too. So, I would say that this is a good effort.”

Premadasa, Wickremesinghe, and Ariyanethiran secured the majority of the votes in the Northern and Eastern Provinces.