Fri Sep 20 07:13:00 UTC 2024: ## Tamils in Sri Lanka Hold Little Hope for Change in Presidential Election
**JAFFNA, Sri Lanka** – Despite Saturday’s presidential election, ethnic Tamil residents in Sri Lanka remain skeptical that their situation will improve. Tamils, who constitute 12% of the country’s population, feel electorally marginalized as most candidates belong to the majority Sinhalese community.
Fisherman Parasamy Thanabalasingam, 62, embodies the disillusionment felt by many Tamils. He says he and his family, displaced during the civil war, have been further burdened by the COVID-19 pandemic and the country’s economic crisis. “After we recovered from the losses during the war, we faced the pandemic and the economic crisis… I don’t have any hope,” he stated.
Thanabalasingam notes that the Tamil vote is fragmented among various factions claiming to represent the minority’s interests. He believes the outcome of the election will be determined by the Sinhalese majority, leaving little room for positive change for Tamils.
Muththu Sivamohan, 66, secretary of a farmers’ union in Iranaimadhu, shares similar concerns. While farmers are slowly recovering from the 2022 economic collapse, they remain heavily indebted. He attributes this to the lack of economic development and corruption within the government. “There has to be a change in the government to put an end to the corruption culture,” he asserts.
However, Sivamohan emphasizes that development should not come at the cost of their rights. He expresses support for the Tamil candidate as a first choice, hoping for a shift in the government’s approach.
The election is expected to be close, with President Ranil Wickremesinghe, opposition leader Sajith Premadasa, and Marxist-leaning politician Anura Kumara Dissanayake vying for the top spot. As Tamils brace for the election results, their hope for a brighter future remains cautiously guarded.
First Piper 