The Global Tamil Forum (GTF), a major Tamil diaspora umbrella organisation, has extended its congratulations to Anura Kumara Dissanayake on being elected as the 9th President of Sri Lanka.
Issuing a statement, the GTF said starting from a humble origin and remaining as a people person all through his political journey, President Dissanayake’s achievements will inspire a new generation of youth from all backgrounds to dream big.
“We would also like to congratulate Dr Harini Amarasuriya on being appointed as the new Prime Minister, the third female Prime Minister in the history of Sri Lanka,” the statement read.
The GTF further said it is pleased that both the election and transfer of power occurred peacefully, setting an example for many countries to follow. “We also acknowledge that this election campaign was largely free of ethnic and religious chauvinistic rhetoric, and hope this sets a precedent for the future.
“Undoubtedly, Sri Lanka is at a pivotal point in its history. The debilitating economic crisis and the entrenched corruption at all levels of society have driven the people to desire a system change, and the campaign conducted by President Dissanayake and the National Peoples Power (NPP) has resonated well with millions of people. We are conscious, however; the new President will face immense challenges in bringing about the economic, political, and social transformation people are longing for,” it said.
The GTF said it is strongly of the view that a true transformation can happen only when every citizen and community in the country feel like an equal stakeholder in its development trajectory. “It is unmistakable from the election results that the new President and his coalition parties are yet to overcome the significant trust deficit and apprehension the minority communities have over the new leaders.
For decades, Tamil people in Sri Lanka faced significant challenges regarding equality, justice and fair representation, and were often fearful of losing their linguistic and religious identities through state-sponsored programs. Further, the effects of the civil war and some of its excesses continue to haunt them without resolution, and their political aspiration to have meaningful power devolution to the regions remains unfulfilled,” the organization said.
The GTF also expressed hope that President Dissanayake will take meaningful steps to address these long-standing grievances of the Tamil people that have virtually made them feel like citizens of secondary importance in their own country.
“We are encouraged by the NPP manifesto which assures speedy completion of the constitutional drafting process initiated during the Yahapalanaya government (2015-19), and the sharing of political and administrative powers with local government institutions, districts and provinces so that all people could participate in governance through the new constitution,” it added.
GTF representatives, together with the Sangha for Better Sri Lanka (SBSL), presented the Himalaya Declaration (HD) to Dissanayake last December and were encouraged by his response.
“We will be delighted to continue to engage with President Dissanayake and his government in his effort to build a new Sri Lanka with integrity, inclusivity, equality, and justice for all,” the GTF added. (Newswire)