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| Ex-Jaffna district ITAK MP M.A. Sumanthiran addressing media after his electoral loss in recent Parliamentary polls. Pix: Northeastern Monitor/N.Lohathayalan |
Former Jaffna district Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchchi (ITAK) Parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran’s contribution to Tamil politics continues to be essential, the Jaffna-based daily Eelanadu has stressed in its editorial on Tuesday (19), despite his electoral defeat in the recent Parliamentary elections.
The newspaper said that since the National People’s Power (NPP) government declared earlier that it would bring in a new constitution, the contribution from Sumanthiran, a legal expert, continues to be inevitable and that he can play a key role even if he is not an elected member in Parliament.
The editorial reads as follows;
Next to the landslide victory of the National People's Power in the North and East in the recent Parliamentary elections, the event that drew attention was the defeat of former Kaffna district ITAK MP and party spokesperson Mathiaparanam Abraham Sumanthiran. He was confident of his victory in the firm belief that since the ITAK was the main political movement of the Sri Lankan Tamil people, voters would return them to the House as usual. But the situation has changed so much that his loss was inevitable.
Everyone knows that not only the leaders of other Tamil parties but also many people within the ITAK itself were targeting their campaigns against Sumanthiran during the election period. Although the Tamil parties were not united on other critical issues, they were united in their stand against Sumanthiran. It is also no secret that the words and deeds of many Tamil politicians were based on the attitude that it does not matter even if they are not elected to Parliament, if Sumanthiran loses the election, it will be a big victory for them.
Sumanthiran has made a mark through his constructive contribution in the last fifteen years in parliament. He is known for his impeccable arguments and debating skills.
After his electoral defeat, not only a significant number of Tamils in the country but also many in the diaspora Tamil community are beginning to worry about a "vacuum" in Tamil representation in Parliament.
Despite their differences with Sumanthian, even some of the Tamil politicians who attacked him in the elections feel that he should definitely be in Parliament. Therefore, it is reliably known that some of them have directly requested him to go to the Parliament again using the National List seat allocated to the ITAK.
Even though Sumanthiran had announced before the election that he would never go to parliament through the National List if the people rejected him, many people within the ITAK urged him to accept the National List slot. At the same time, there are people within the ITAK who are determined to banish him from Tamil politics with this electoral defeat.
Among those who are elected to the new Parliament from the North, the only other person who can make a meaningful contribution equal to Sumanthiran's is Tamil National People's Front leader Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam. But, unfortunately, his doctrinal obstinacy prevented him from contributing to a wide range of parliamentary affairs.
It is here that the importance of Sumanthiran is felt very deeply. He has adopted a very diplomatic approach in engaging with the Southern Sri Lankan political landscape and the international community in a manner appropriate to the contemporary domestic and international political situation without compromising the legitimate political aspirations of the Tamil people. Even many sober-minded Sinhalese politicians perceive his defeat as a setback for today's Sri Lankan politics in terms of ethnic relations.
His approach and actions have earned him admirers and detractors in equal measure. Sumanthiran, who has announced that he will continue to engage in politics even after his electoral defeat, has a responsibility now to clearly define his role in the new political environment with the advent of a new government that is determined to introduce a new Constitution.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has promised the people that he will complete the new Constitution making process that was initiated during the "Good Governance" government from 2015 to 2019 and stalled with the interim report.
Sumanthiran, who made a critical and vibrant contribution to those processes, can continue to provide his legal expertise and services even if he is not in Parliament. Eelanadu is confident that he can certainly play a significant role when the new Constitution-making processes are being carried out in the House.
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Almost all those who are defeated in elections, the first statement they make is that they honour the verdict of the people. Further Mr.M.S had made statements that he will not accept bonus seat position in the Parliament under no circumstances. Therefore better he proves to the Jaffna voters that even if people did not elect him to the parliament he is readily available to serve his constituency where his expertise is in need for the betterment of Jaffna voters even as a nonparliamentarian where necessary on a voluntary basis.. There he will score.
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