Sathasivam Kanagaratnam
Encyclopedia
Sathasivam Kanagaratnam is a Sri Lankan Tamil politician
and former Member of Parliament
.
In 2004 Kanagaratnam was selected by the Tamil Tigers as a Tamil National Alliance
(TNA) parliamentary candidate. Kanagaratnam represented the Vanni multi-member electoral district
for the TNA in the Sri Lankan Parliament between April 2004
and February 2010.
Kanagaratnam and his family were amongst the 300,000 civilians trapped in the No Fire Zone during the final months of the civil war
. After the end of the civil war in May 2009 Kanagaratnam and his son were detained by the Terrorist Investigation Department of the Sri Lanka Police Service
. Kanagaratnam was released in January 2010 after agreeing to support Mahinda Rajapaksa
in the presidential election
.
In 2010, after the Tamil Tigers' defeat in the civil war
, the TNA deselected most of its Tamil Tiger appointed MPs, including Kanagaratnam. He subsequently joined the governing United People's Freedom Alliance
(UPFA) and stood as one of its candidates in Vanni District in the 2010 parliamentary election
. He failed to get elected, coming sixth amongst the UPFA candidates.
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and former Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
.
In 2004 Kanagaratnam was selected by the Tamil Tigers as a Tamil National Alliance
Tamil National Alliance
The Tamil National Alliance is a powerful minority Sri Lankan Tamil political alliance in Sri Lanka. It was formed as an amalgamation of moderate Tamil parties as well as number of former rebel groups...
(TNA) parliamentary candidate. Kanagaratnam represented the Vanni multi-member electoral district
Electoral districts in Sri Lanka
The 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka provides for the election of members of Parliament from 22 multi-member electoral districts through the proportional representation electoral system....
for the TNA in the Sri Lankan Parliament between April 2004
Sri Lankan parliamentary election, 2004
Parliamentary elections were held in Sri Lanka on 2 April 2004. The ruling United National Party of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was defeated, winning only eighty two seats in the 225-member Sri Lankan parliament. The opposition United People's Freedom Alliance won 105 seats...
and February 2010.
Kanagaratnam and his family were amongst the 300,000 civilians trapped in the No Fire Zone during the final months of the civil war
Sri Lankan civil war
The Sri Lankan Civil War was a conflict fought on the island of Sri Lanka. Beginning on July 23, 1983, there was an on-and-off insurgency against the government by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a separatist militant organization which fought to create an independent Tamil state named Tamil...
. After the end of the civil war in May 2009 Kanagaratnam and his son were detained by the Terrorist Investigation Department of the Sri Lanka Police Service
Sri Lanka Police Service
The Sri Lanka Police Service is the civilian national police force of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. The police force has a manpower of approximately 85,000. It is responsible for enforcing criminal and traffic law, enhancing public safety, maintaining order and keeping the peace...
. Kanagaratnam was released in January 2010 after agreeing to support Mahinda Rajapaksa
Mahinda Rajapaksa
Percy Mahendra "Mahinda" Rajapaksa ; ; born November 18, 1945) is the 6th and current President of Sri Lanka and Commander in Chief of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces. A lawyer by profession, Rajapaksa was first elected to the Parliament of Sri Lanka in 1970, and served as prime minister from April 6,...
in the presidential election
Sri Lankan presidential election, 2010
The Sri Lankan presidential election of 2010 was the sixth presidential election of Sri Lanka. The election was announced on 23 November 2009 when incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa decided to seek a fresh mandate prior to the expiration of his term in 2011...
.
In 2010, after the Tamil Tigers' defeat in the civil war
Sri Lankan civil war
The Sri Lankan Civil War was a conflict fought on the island of Sri Lanka. Beginning on July 23, 1983, there was an on-and-off insurgency against the government by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a separatist militant organization which fought to create an independent Tamil state named Tamil...
, the TNA deselected most of its Tamil Tiger appointed MPs, including Kanagaratnam. He subsequently joined the governing United People's Freedom Alliance
United People's Freedom Alliance
The United People's Freedom Alliance is a political alliance in Sri Lanka. The current leader of the United People's Freedom Alliance is Mahinda Rajapaksa and Susil Premajayantha is the general secretary of UPFA.The alliance was formed by:...
(UPFA) and stood as one of its candidates in Vanni District in the 2010 parliamentary election
Sri Lankan parliamentary election, 2010
The 2010 Sri Lankan parliamentary election was held on April 8 and April 20, 2010, to elect 225 members to Sri Lanka's 14th Parliament. 14,088,500 Sri Lankans were eligible to vote in the election at 11,102 polling stations...
. He failed to get elected, coming sixth amongst the UPFA candidates.