The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has questioned the legitimacy in holding a presidential election since participating in it would be a violation of the people’s verdict.
TNA Leader MP R Sampanthan says the people have continuously given a mandate for the abolition of the executive presidency and the introduction of a new constitution.
Sampanthan has made this observation during a meeting with a European Union (EU) delegation comprising of Riccardo Chelleri, (Policy Officer Democracy and Electoral Observation) and Anne Vaugier Chatterjee (Deputy Head, Political, Trade, and Communications Section) and others.
The TNA Leader pointed out that the Sri Lankan people since 1994 have repeatedly voted for the abolition of the Executive Presidency, which has been the verdict of the people over 25 years at elections.
In this context holding another Presidential election is a deceitful act and is against the verdict of the people of this country, said Sampanthan.
“Therefore, the matter what has to be decided at this juncture is that, whether to participate in this process which is against the verdict of the people and the other question remains whether it is a legitimate process,” Sampanthan notes.
He further observes that at the last Presidential election over 90% of the people supported a New Constitution. Based on that a resolution was unanimously adopted in Parliament and much work had been done to frame a new Constitution but now all those efforts had been put aside.
“After the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1988 over the past thirty years, much work had been done concerning framing a new Constitution. There were several proposals made available in this regard but none of those were fulfilled. At this moment the Country needs a New Constitution and not a Presidential Elections,” Sampanthan informed the EU delegation.
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