Tamils voted for President Sirisena to oust Mahinda – Sumanthiran

The Tamil community had never acceded to the reappointment of Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Prime Minister who was removed from his term of office through people’s vote, says Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran.

He stated this addressing an event held in Batticaloa to commemorate the 13th death anniversary of late Parliamentarian Joseph Pararajasingham, who was assassinated on the 25th of December 2005.

The event had been organized by the youth organization of Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi in Batticaloa district.

“Sri Lankans are now aware of the Constitution of the country as well as the 19th Amendment as a result of the recent political turmoil and we hear people talk about certain Articles of the Constitution in Colombo area,” MP Sumanthiran stated.

During the parliamentary election held in April 2010, Mahinda Rajapaksa, although he did not hold the two-third majority, bought certain politicians and passed the 18th Amendment to the Constitution, he added.

According to him, in response to the President’s recent comment that he would never forget the Tamil people as it was their votes that helped him assume power as the president of the country, MP Sumanthiran had told the President that, the Tamil community voted for Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka during the presidential election in 2010.

However, they had voted for the President during the presidential election in 2015 and this was not done out of ‘love’ for President Sirisena or Sarath Fonseka, he had further said.

MP Sumanthiran emphasized that the Tamil community never accepted the reappointment of Mahinda Rajapaksa, whom they thought should be ousted, as the Prime Minister.