Northern youth as yet unconvinced amid joblessness

Women activists are engaged in election campaign activities in support of the Tamil common candidate in Kilinochchi. Pix: Northeastern Monitor

By S. Rubatheesan  

Most Northern voters, particularly young people, are as yet undecided whom to vote for in the presidential election next Saturday.

For Sriharan Abilash, 20, of Aralay North, this will be the first time he is going to cast his vote, but he is not sure. “I’m going to wait for a couple of more days to decide.’’

He expects a stable economy and a boost for the rural economy since many districts in the province lack infrastructure and job opportunities for the youth who are leaving for work overseas.

“This is very critical for us since many youngsters, including my friends, are planning to leave since they don’t see many opportunities here to lead a decent life,” he said.

Along with prominent candidates, independent President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Samagi Jana Balawegaya leader and opposition leader Sajith Premadasa, candidate of National Peoples’ Power, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, another independent candidate known as the common Tamil candidate P. Ariyanenthiran is gaining traction.

Unlike previous presidential elections where Tamil people supported a leading candidate, Tamil nationalist parties and civil society outfits fielded a common candidate for the Tamil cause, a symbolic protest to register their disappointment over the failure of past governments to address the ethnic conflict in the country.

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Driver Sriskantharaja Sivakumar, 42, from Jaffna town said, like many others in his village, he is confident of a Premadasa presidency.

“Among all the candidates, my support is for Sajith Premadasa. Because, like his father, the late Mr Premadasa, he also initiated many housing projects in the province for war-affected people. Other candidates did nothing for the Tamil people in terms of development,” Mr Sivakumar told the Sunday Times.

With mixed signals coming from the main Tamil constituent party of Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchchi (ITAK) on the polls despite the party central committee decision to support Mr Premadasa, its supporters, backed by MPs launched pocket meetings canvassing votes for the Tamil common candidate.

ITAK leader, parliamentarian, S. Shritharan organised grassroots campaigns and pocket meetings supporting a Tamil common candidacy in Kilinochchi early this week mobilising a large crowd.

ITAK General Secretary Dr. P. Sathiyalingam wrote to all the regional wings of ITAK in eight districts reiterating the party’s decision to support Mr Premadasa this week and request Mr Ariyanenthiran, a member of the party central committee, to leave the presidential race.

The party is to meet this week to discuss electioneering and canvassing in support of Mr Premadasa despite internal disagreements among the MPs and senior leaders.

On Friday, a massive election canvassing meeting was organised in Mannar Bus stand premises where P. Ariyanenthiran urged voters to only vote for his symbol, the conch shell, as many activists canvassed to extend the preferential votes for other candidates. Leader of Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO) and ITAK MP Selvam Adaikalanathan organised the meeting.

Meanwhile, several low-key, grassroots campaigns and pocket meetings were launched this week in support of Tamil common candidate Mr Ariyanenthiran. Earlier this week, Mr Ariyanenthiran was in Batticaloa, his hometown, where he was given a grand welcome by locals and civil society groups.

Speaking in Jaffna yesterday, Mr Ariyanenthiran observed that there has been significant support for him in recent weeks as he travelled across the two provinces.

Claiming that he is merely a ‘symbol’ for the Tamil cause, Mr Ariyanenthiran said that Tamil people are forced to take up this position which he believes is a new path in the Tamil cause to let their voices be heard.

The Tamil National Peoples’ Front (TNPF) also carried out low-key campaigns urging Tamil people to boycott the polls saying all presidential candidates vowed to protect the unitary nature of the state and not under a federal-based structure.

TNPF parliamentarian S. Kajendran who was distributing leaflets along with his supporters in Kilinochchi on Friday was questioned by police and later released for canvassing for a boycott. (The Sunday Times)