TPA Backs Sajith Premadasa’s Presidential Bid with Promised Cabinet Positions

Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA), one of Sri Lanka’s key Tamil political coalition said many of its legislators will be cabinet ministers under a future government, if opposition leader Sajith Premadasa wins the September 21 presidency.

Ethnic minority TPA on Tuesday (06) pledged support to opposition leader Sajith Premadasa in the upcoming presidential poll, but declined to elaborate the conditions Premadasa has agreed with the party.

“Many of us will be part of our cabinet and his administration,” TPA leader Mano Ganeshan told reporters at a media briefing in Colombo, referring to four legislators including him who addressed media.

However, he said the party has not demanded “the Sun and the Moon” and admitted that the party’s support is “not unconditional”.

Most ethnic minority parties in Sri Lanka usually demand cabinet portfolio to pledge support before national elections.

The island nation has witnessed many unstable governments in the past after minority parties leave the government when they do not meet their pre-election demands.