In Sri Lanka, former Chief Minister of Tamil-majority northern province C.V.Wigneswaran has said that his side will take a neutral stand at the upcoming Presidential elections and will not ask people whom to vote for. Issuing a statement in Jaffna today, he said that both the main candidates viz. Minister  Sajith Premadasa and former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa have not accepted the demands put forth by Tamil parties. Mr. Wigneswaran said that he is asking the people to make the decision on their own and cast the vote considering the past history, present internal and external circumstances.

A group of five Tamil political parties recently signed a memorandum containing 13 demands including a demand for a political solution and abolishing the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). It notes the acceptance of the political aspirations of Tamil nation, recognition of the merged Northern and Eastern Provinces as the historical habitat of the Tamils and realization of the fact that the Tamil People under the provisions of international law are entitled to the right of self-determination. The parties had declared that their support to any candidate will be based on the support they receive for the demands but a meeting of these parties on the issues yesterday had remained inconclusive. Illangai Thamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK), People’s Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE), Eelam People’s Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF), Tamil People’s Council (TPC) led by former Chief Minister and Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO) signed the memorandum.