Sri Lankan Elections 101

The aftermath of the Sri Lankan election tends to be a hot button topic for the Tamil Diaspora. The surprise candidate Maithripala Sirisena won the elections with the help of the ethnic Tamil votes. Moreover, the TNA endorsed Sirisena and there are several myths around the deluded support they provide. Many feel that it’s a positive change for the Eelam Tamils: a bleak light of hope towards a permanent political solution. Some also say that regardless of whether its Rajapaksa or Sirisena, nothing is changing for the Eelam Tamils. However, the result of the election has revealed many truths: the political influence of the Eelam Tamil community in the north and the east, the relevance of Sri Lanka to the west and the next phase of the Eelam Tamil Genocide.