KILINOCHCHI, Sri Lanka — A former member of the LTTE has publicly endorsed M. A. Sumanthiran as a candidate for Chief Minister of Sri Lanka’s Northern Province, urging Tamils to rally behind him and challenging critics to propose a more suitable alternative.
The endorsement came from Tharan Sri, a former fighter of the LTTE’s Charles Anthony Brigade who now leads a regional civil group, the Vanni Tamil People’s Union, in a Facebook post. He said M. A. Sumanthiran had invited former militants to take part in democratic politics through the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK), describing the outreach as a significant shift in Tamil political engagement.
Tharan Sri said he and a group of former fighters met Sumanthiran at his residence for nearly two hours, after which, he said, their long-held criticisms of the Tamil legislator had changed. He described Sumanthiran as “an indispensable figure” for the Tamil community and called for his nomination as Chief Minister in a future provincial council election.
“If there is someone more capable, let them be identified,” he said, framing his endorsement as both a declaration and a challenge to political rivals.
Tharan Sri, who now lives in Sweden and is originally from Kilinochchi — a political stronghold of S. Sritharan, a key rival of M. A. Sumanthiran within the party — has been critical of Sritharan despite earlier associations. During the conflict, he fought under Brigadier Theepan, who was Sritharan’s brother-in-law.
Political observers say the endorsement signals a convergence of interests between M. A. Sumanthiran and sections of former militant networks, including figures once aligned with other regional actors. Tharan Sri had previously been associated with Murugesu Chandrakumar, a former Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) heavyweight and ex-member of Parliament who now serves as general secretary of the Samaththuva Katchi, a Kilinochchi-based regional party.
Murugesu Chandrakumar, a longtime rival of S. Sritharan who draws from a similar voter base, is now seen as aligning with M. A. Sumanthiran, whose principal rival within the party is Sritharan.
While Sumanthiran has often faced criticism from nationalist sections of Tamil society, Tharan Sri said those perceptions did not fully reflect the legislator’s role. He argued that Sumanthiran had consistently supported the inclusion of former fighters in mainstream politics.
The Northern Provincial Council elections have yet to be scheduled, and political observers say the government may be hesitant to proceed after setbacks in recent local body polls. Early positioning within Tamil parties suggests that internal rivalries, as much as electoral competition, could shape leadership choices — potentially at the expense of addressing key issues affecting Tamil communities.
