Shivaji wants UN Referendum if next SL President fails to address Tamil question within 3 months

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 October 2019, 21:22 GMT]
The SLPP led by Gotabhaya Rajapaksa as a presidential candidate has issued its election manifesto. There is no recognition of the existence of the Tamil national question in that document. It talks about consolidating the unitary state and ensuring a foremost place to Buddhism. It is also about disciplining the society, the meaning of which is evident to every Eezham Tamil, said M.K. Shivajilingam, who is contesting in the SL presidential race to denounce the Sinhala-centric outlook of resolving the conflict in the island. Sajith Premadasa’s New Democratic Front is yet to release its manifesto. If that too fails to meet the key terms jointly articulated by the five Tamil parties, Tamils should be prepared to demand UN Referendum giving three months ultimatum to the newly elected president, he said in Jaffna on Wednesday.

If the five Tamil parties, which have signed the document with thirteen demands come to a common understanding of what the Tamil position should be, then he would reconsider his decision, Mr Shivajilingam said.

However, the trends witnessed in the South speak on the contrary, he said.

One candidate talks about ‘national security’ while the other talks about the war against narcotics. Both seem to be preoccupied with power and strength.

“We witnessed the kind of security harassments before the visit by Gotabhaya Rajapaksa to North,” he said, referring to the stringent security checks on Monday and the day before in Jaffna and Vavuniyaa.

All the Sinhala leaders from the past must be held responsible for Tamil genocide, he said.

His party, TELO, was exerting pressure on Mr Shivajlingam to denounce his candidacy before 03 November.

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