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This general election is important for the Tamils, Why?

The general election to the 13th parliament of Sri Lanka is taking place on the 2nd of this April. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam have for the first in the history of their politics, deliberated to face an election held by the Singhala state of Sri Lanka and convert it into a referendum for the Tamils to grant a mandate reflecting their national aspirations, though they used not to wish to directly participate and stand for an election organized under a constitution that stresses the Singhala Baudha ideology of dominating and oppressing the Tamil minority. So the movement of the LTTE is determined to back the political parties that have aligned themselves on a policy professing to admit the entitlement of the LTTE to the leadership of the Tamil Nation and to be the sole and authentic representatives of the Tamil people.

The Alliance of the Tamils is contesting under their election symbol 'house' in all the five electoral districts in the NorthEast, their homeland. All the Tamils are requested to go to their respective polling booths on the polling day and exercise their franchise marking a cross in the cage against the symbol 'house'.

The LTTE movement that has been hitherto rejecting the elections is collaborating in this election and soliciting the Tamils to vote. Why?It is not out of a desire to capture some seats in the Singhala state assembly and to lobby their politics the LTTE is requesting the Tamils to vote. Nor is the Singhala State Assembly a legislature with due authority or jurisdiction to obtain implementable legislation in accordance with universally accepted principles in respect of the legitimate rights of the Tamil people. This incapability of the Sri Lankan parliament is a hard fact realized by the entire Tamils. Sri Lankan parliament is a seat of authority guided and directed by a constitution brought about solely for maintaining the political authority and dominance of the Singhala only.

The representation of the Tamils and Muslims in parliament is only namesake. Even when Tamil or Muslim representatives stand together and fight tooth and nail it is of no avail in a parliament where the majority dictatorial dominance of Singhalese has its sway and conducts the parliamentary functions. Hence the LTTE has never believed or relied on to achieve the rights and privileges of the Tamils through parliamentary politics. Anyhow the political status of the Tamils today is not the same as it has been before.

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam that committed to lead the armed struggle of the Tamils for liberation and carried on the resistance for over two decades has the military strength of the Tamils to be on par with that of the Singhala State. On account of this parity of military power the ethnic communities in the island are on par with each other in their political power too.

The bravery of the Tamils nurtured by the LTTE and the armament built up by the LTTE and adorning the Tamil bravery and the dedication of the militants all combined to reach the political and national goals have fortified the political base, of the Eelam Tamils inland and internationally. In spite of all these there are yet more steps to assert ourselves. Just now the next is our political obligation to democratically prove our political strength.

For long the Singhala state unleashed everything within their power to campaign against the LTTE and the national aspirations of the Tamils and falsify the identical interest and common claim of the LTTE and the Tamils with the sole motive of misleading the international view on the Tamils and the LTTE and to project the LTTE as if they differ with the Tamils in their political pursuits.

The international community is now keen to see if the Tamils endorse the claims of the LTTE. Just as targeting two birds at one shot the LTTE has now decided to see if this election could be used to serve two of their purposes. One purpose is to defeat the venomous propaganda of the Singhala state against the genuineness of the LTTE championing the cause of the Tamil nation and the other is to fulfill the wish of the international community to ascertain whether the Tamils acknowledge the leadership and representation of the LTTE to look after their political and national aspirations and interests.

Through this election the Tamils will give their verdict by marking a cross in the cage against the symbol 'house' to bring home to the Singhala and the Singhala state and the international community that the LTTE is none other than the Tamils themselves and the Tamils themselves are none other than the LTTE. Thereafter the Singhalese state will not be able to stand on the way of the Tamil national aspirations and the international community cannot pose any excuse against resolving the Tamil national question. Add to that, the political strength of the Tamils will reach the peak as never before in history. Making the best of that enhanced political state of the Tamils the LTTE shall do their political moves and endeavor to win their national and political goals. Tamils should not consider this polling as the usual general election that provides an opportunity for politicians to merely get elected as representatives to go to Singhala parliament.

The coming election is one that is going to obtain the mandate of the Tamils for the Singhalese state and the international community to see for themselves the stand of the Tamils in relation to the LTTE.

Moreover this election is to be considered a referendum through which to ascertain the aspirations of the Tamils. The Tamil people had given a similar mandate in the year 1977 as well. The Singhala state did not pay heed to it nor did the international community take notice of it to take into account. The mandate was virtually strong enough and portended to be creditable but humanity was not there with the Singhala state to give the due credit to those worthy of it and entitled for it. In the world of politics virtues are only some commodities for decorum to boast of or to be flattered but never to be paid up.

But the Tamil national minority in Sri Lanka is now laudable for its enormous military strength and vitality. The mandate the people give to the Alliance at this praiseworthy and meritorious stage of our military strength and talented achievements would go a long way to press on all the parties involved in the peace efforts to resolve the Tamil National Question and to effect a sustainable peace. Beside military strength, integrity of character and good moral conduct of the leadership, everybody concerned and involved in the struggle and the peace efforts on behalf of the Tamils, and the Tamil community itself can rest assured of a secured future. Wherefore the Tamils are expected to bear in mind the 2nd of this April as a red letter day and a day proclaiming to the whole world the aspirations and verdict of the Tamil people in respect of their national and political goals, their leadership and their authentic representatives. Hence on that 2nd day of April each and every voter in the NorthEast is expected to consider it his or her national duty and his/her vote will be rated and valued as one of the voters' mandate for political and national liberation of the Tamils.

07 March 2004

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