Ahead of Sri Lanka’s presidential election, Tamil lawmaker M.A. Sumanthiran met with candidate for the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party, Namal Rajapaksa, to discuss issues facing the North-East.
The SLPP’s Politbureau member, G. Cassilingham told reporters that Namal Rajapaksa had claimed he was willing to address the grievances of those in the North-East and provide a better livelihood.
The Daily Mirror quoted Cassilingham as stating Sumanthiran "appreciated Rajapaksa's efforts in working for the people in the North and East".
Namal Rajapaksa is the son of accused war criminal and former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, who during his reign oversaw genocidal violence against Tamils during the final phase of the armed conflict. This includes the indiscriminate shelling of hospitals, aid lines and “no fire zones” that resulted in the killing of over 160,000 people.
During the Aragalaya protests of 2022, Mahinda Rajapaksa was forced to resign from his position as prime minister due to the widespread economic unrest. The Supreme Court found that the Rajapaksa clan bore guilt for the bankrupting of the country and of economic mismanagement.
In 2016, Namal Rajapaksa was arrested on charges of money laundering relating to an agreement with a real estate company that occurred whilst his father was in power.
The company leased state-owned land in the heart of Colombo for a mixed-use development plan valued at $650 million, including residential skyscrapers, a luxury hotel, and shopping. The project grew contentious after opposition party members accused figures of the Rajapaksa administration of accepting secret payments to secure the land deal.
Sumanthiran's political has garned criticism over recent years for its willingness to engage with the Rajapaksa clan and even supporting a Rajapaksa-backed candidate during the 2022 elections. Speaking to Newsfirst Sri Lanka, Sumanthiran admitted that he had spoken to two other presidential candidates, Sajith Premadasa and Anura Kumara Dissanayake. He also noted that his party has engaged in conversations with Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on implementation of the 13th amendment but they have not discussed what they would like him to do to fulfil Tamil aspirations should he win the election.
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