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Jaffna University Students Union declines backing Sajith

The Jaffna University Students Union has decided not to back the Tamil National Alliance’s (TNA) stance of endorsing Sajith Premadasa at next week’s Sri Lankan presidential elections, says a senior Tamil MP.

Mavai Senathirajah, head of the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK), told reporters that “the Jaffna University Students Union had declined to abide by the TNA division to support the NDF candidate and I hope that they will have a change of heart at the forthcoming election”.

However, he went on to state his party “will take indefatigable efforts to induce Tamils to exercise their votes in favour of” Premadasa, according to an article in Daily News.

“Even though individual members may have separate views as a whole, there was no division within the TNA regarding their political stance,” he added.

The Jaffna University Students Union had launched a campaign to unite all Tamil political parties, ahead of next week’s polls. It resulted in five Tamil political parties signed a memorandum of 13 key demands, which were presented to all of Sri Lanka's leading presidential candidates.

With the exception of one outsider, all other Sinhala candidates ignored the demands, said former Chief Minister of the Northern Province C V Wigneswaran. Despite this, the TNA stated it would be backing Premadasa.

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