Tamil leader becomes opposition leader in Sri Lanka

[Godman]

BREAKING NEWS: Sampanthan named Opposition Leader
Sep 03, 2015 Rishan Hannan Local, News Ticker, Top Slider 0

Tamil National Alliance Parliamentary Group Leader R. Sampanthan has been recognised was recognised as the Opposition Leader of Parliament a short while ago.

Sampanthan was recognised by Speaker Karu jayasuriya as there was no request made by the UPFA for the position.

NEWS JUST IN : R. Sampanthan named Opposition Leader

@Azizam @Gibbs what do you guys think? Now Sampanthan will have to represent everyone not just Tamils. Will he able to do it?

 

[samv]

Excellent work, rewarding someone belonging to a party that recognized the LTTE as the "sole representatives" of the Tamil people and supported it both locally and internationally.

A wonderful gift for all those soldiers who died fighting the LTTE.

 

[Godman]

I thought it will go to JVP or the UPFA but they didn't ask for it so according to the rules Sampanthan should get the Opposition leadership.
The Rajapaksa fans and Racial Chauvinists in Sri Lanka are shouting about it like Idiots but Rajapaksa also allowed it

 

[Gibbs]

Not the first time a Tamil politician became the opposition leader.. The 77' Parliament had the TULF leader Amirthalingam whomwas later assassinated by the LTTE as the leader of the opposition

This is how democracy work.. TNA is the third largest party in Parliament and the Largest in the opposition with 16 seats.. Now that there is a National govt with majority of members from the two biggest parties.. Then right choice given the circumstances

Sampandan has always towed the more moderate stance in the TNA regards to the Tamil issue along side the likes of Sumithidaran et al.. And at these elections it was clear that Tamil people overwhelmingly voted for the more moderate candidates and totally rejected those in TNA with seperatist motives and other Tamil extremist in toto..despite heavy funding from the LTTE rump in the west for the separatist candidates

Plus given the responsibility of a eminent position as the leader of the opposition the TNA will have to be more focused on National issues pertaining the whole country than just the Tamil community and the North.. Best way to get poltical parties based on mono ethnic policies to a national platform.. Win win situation imo

Cauvanist bigots, Tamil Nadu political jokers, LTTE rump and Weerawansa cock suckers are left to cry on online forums.. Such is life ..

 

[Azizam]

This is not a good sign. 1979 repeating all over again.

 

[samv]

I thought it will go to JVP or the UPFA but they didn't ask for it so according to the rules Sampanthan should get the Opposition leadership.
The Rajapaksa fans and Racial Chauvinists in Sri Lanka are shouting about it like Idiots but Rajapaksa also allowed it

Sampanthan is the leader of the Tamil National Alliance which recognised the LTTE as the sole representatives of the Tamil people and still has not climbed down from that position. They rarely if ever criticised the LTTE and openly supported them, never said a word about the LTTE abducting children, sending suicide bombers, setting off bombs, and keep the Tamil people as human shields. He is nothing but a Tamil chauvinist just like the chief minister of the northern province Vigneswaran. If you are looking for racial chauvinists look no further than the TNA and Sampanthan.

His parties stand is that there was a genocide of the Tamil people in Sri Lanka, that there should be an international investigation into war crimes and that the Sri Lankan military should be removed from the north and east of the country. In 1983 he walked out of Sri Lanka's parliament in protest because advocating separatism was criminalised. In 2012 in Batticaloa he made a speech stating that Tamils have the right to "external self-determination."

Now that he is leader of the opposition he has all the freedom to advocate his cause to foreign dignitaries and travel to foreign capitals as the legitimate leader of the Sri Lankan opposition. Ranil and Sirisena have just handed Tamil nationalism a gift, over the dead bodies of thousands of Sri Lankan soldiers who fought the very group that Sampanthan and his followers were supporting with gusto.

This is not a good sign. 1979 repeating all over again.

Don't whine and cry now... remember you wanted a "change"... well you have it now. Scream "yahapalanaya!" at the top of your voice and shout "woohoo!"

 

[Godman]

Not the first time a Tamil politician became the opposition leader.. The 77' Parliament had the TULF leader Amirthalingam whomwas later assassinated by the LTTE as the leader of the opposition

This is how democracy work.. TNA is the third largest party in Parliament and the Largest in the opposition with 16 seats.. Now that there is a National govt with majority of members from the two biggest parties.. Then right choice given the circumstances

Sampandan has always towed the more moderate stance in the TNA regards to the Tamil issue along side the likes of Sumithidaran et al.. And at these elections it was clear that Tamil people overwhelmingly voted for the more moderate candidates and totally rejected those in TNA with seperatist motives and other Tamil extremist in toto..despite heavy funding from the LTTE rump in the west for the separatist candidates

Plus given the responsibility of a eminent position as the leader of the opposition the TNA will have to be more focused on National issues pertaining the whole country than just the Tamil community and the North.. Best way to get poltical parties based on mono ethnic policies to a national platform.. Win win situation imo

Cauvanist bigots, Tamil Nadu political jokers, LTTE rump and Weerawansa cock suckers are left to cry on online forums.. Such is life ..

I agree with you, Sampandan is a good guy and his appointment will make the Tamils in the North East feel they are not marginalized

But as the opposition leader he has the duty of criticizing any bad actions of the government, we will have to see if he does it well. Sampandan and Ranil have been allies for a long time so as the opposition leader he has the duty to shout if Ranil does something wrong

 

[Gibbs]

This is not a good sign. 1979 repeating all over again.

Ground situation and circumstances are way different mate, We have a president from a Sinhalese Buddhist rural back ground who is also the commander in Chief and the defense minister, A prime minister a pro Western and pro US for what ever reason good or bad got the main power to make or break the country in his side (The change in stance of the US regarding the UNHRC is paramount), And a Tamil as the opposition leader now obliged to deal with the whole country not just within the narrow view point of his mono ethnic constituency

 

[Gibbs]

@Azizam.. Is'nt this the best way to keep them under scrutiny ?

 

[Godman]

The speech is certainly reassuring, he is a intelligent and experienced politician.

I hope Mr.Sampandan will do his duties well

 

[Gibbs]

The speech is certainly reassuring, he is a intelligent and experienced politician.

I hope Mr.Sampandan will do his duties well

I would'nt use the word reassuring on any politician.. Especially politicians with a divergent past.. But imo opinion this is the best way to get these people in to mainstream politics.. They dont have any other options to than to tow the line, Keep them on the fringe they will remain extremist because they dont have to answer to anybody.. This way they are answerable to the whole country.. That is the universal untold truth

 

[Godman]

I would'nt use the word reassuring on any politician.. Especially politicians with a divergent past.. But imo opinion this is the best way to get these people in to mainstream politics.. They dont have any other options to than to tow the line, Keep them on the fringe they will remain extremist because they dont have to answer to anybody.. This way they are answerable to the whole country.. That is the universal untold truth

By reassuring I meant him being suitable for the post of Opposition leader, in which he has to debate on national issues. It was worrying but now most of the worries are gone.

His appointment is a major setback to Pro-LTTE groups who say that Sri Lanka is an apartheid state which has no place for Tamils. lets see how things go.

It is too soon to judge him but I hope he will do a good job

 

[samv]

Well done!

 

[Gibbs]

@Azizam @Godman .. I do understand him saying that he will represent the Sinhalese as well.. Can one of you translate the rest.. Cheers

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=540097392814680

 

[Godman]

@Azizam @Godman .. I do understand him saying that he will represent the Sinhalese as well.. Can one of you translate the rest.. Cheers

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=540097392814680

He says

"I will do everything to Sinhalese people a Sinhalese opposition leader will do
We will never divide the nation. We are against dividing it, we don't like dividing
There is no need to talk about dividing, we can completely get rid of the idea of dividing"

the journalist asks about the Political solution at 0:21 and he says,

"A good decision must be made to this problem
A decision where everyone can agree"