Stating that the Tamil people had "continuously lost their rights under a flawed majoritarian electoral system", the Global Tamil Forum (GTF) nevertheless urged the Tamil people "to use every vote carefully during the January 8 presidential election", in a statement released on Wednesday.
"Tamil people have a long history of voting based on principled considerations. The upcoming Presidential election is no different," the GTF said.
Adding that the organisation was "fully aware that in the post-independent Sri Lanka, Tamil people have continuously lost their rights under a flawed majoritarian electoral system," the GTF said that the Tamil people's "desire to have a degree of control in the Tamil majority areas was never granted, despite repeated democratic expressions of their wishes through all available electoral means."
However, the GTF urged Tamil speaking people "to fully participate in this decision and to vote" in the election.
"Nevertheless, from our perspective, whether Sri Lanka should continue in the same path or whether change should be taken at this juncture to stop and reverse this trajectory is the fundamental question facing the electorate."
See also our editorial on the Tamil vote and Sri Lanka's presidential election: No Choice (22 Dec 2014)
Related article: Rajapaksa will be tried for genocidal war crimes if he loses elections - GTF (24 Nov 2014)
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