Highlighting the economic challenges the island nation is facing, he said his government will explore the possibility of converting the loan granted by the Indian government to develop the Kankesanthurai port into to aid. Pointing out the measures his government is planning to improve education, he noted that the Chinese government has agreed to provide uniforms to Sri Lankan school students as a grant.
He said “certain” Tamil political party leaders, who had not joined the NPP, had approached him to express their eagerness in joining the government after the presidential elections but quipped that they had “missed the bus.”
With the Tamil National Alliance breaking up, the Tamil regions of Sri Lanka are witnessing a multi-cornered contest that is likely to split their votes and affect the collective bargaining power of the Tamils in the Parliament.
Dr S Arivalzahan from the University of Jaffna, who attended Dissanayake’s rally, said this was the biggest political rally he had seen in Jaffna since the war ended in 2009.
For the first time since Sri Lanka’s independence, Dissanayake seems to be emerging as a leader who could appeal not only to the people of the south, but also to those in the north and east, he observed.
Ganesamurthi Tamilselvi, who had travelled by bus from Valvettithurai, the birthplace of late LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, with many other NPP supporters, said she was impressed by the anti-corruption measures taken by Dissanayake.
When asked about charges of Tamil parties that the NPP will not be any different when it comes to the Tamils’ issues, she said that since nothing has happened by voting for other parties in the past, why not vote for a new leader?
However, another person who attended the rally, requesting anonymity, said he came only to see the new president.
“I know what the JVP has done in the past. They did not raise their voice when our people were killed. They were the reason for the north and east getting divided. How can I trust them?” he asked.