Suresh Premachandran
Sri Lankan politician (born 1957)
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Arumugam Kandaiah Premachandran (Tamil: ஆறுமுகம் கந்தையா பிரேமச்சந்திரன்; born 8 November 1957; commonly known as Suresh Premachandran) is a Sri Lankan Tamil militant turned politician and former Member of Parliament. He is the current leader of the Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF), a member of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA).
affiliations
Suresh Premachandran | |
|---|---|
சுரேஷ் பிரேமச்சந்திரன் | |
| |
| Member of Parliament for Jaffna District | |
| In office 1989–1994 | |
| In office 2004–2015 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 8 November 1957 |
| Party | Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front |
Other political affiliations | Tamil National Alliance |
Early life
Premachandran was born on 8 November 1957, the son of a farmer.[1][2] He was educated at Uruthirapuram Maha Vidyalayam and Senguntha Hindu College.[2] He then joined Waterloo College, London and Madras Christian College where he studied political science.[2]
Premachandran got involved in the Sri Lankan Tamil nationalism movement whilst at school and in 1976, whilst in London, he joined the Eelam Revolutionary Organisation of Students (EROS).[2] He received military training from the Palestinians in Lebanon.[2] In 1979 K. Pathmanabha left EROS to form the Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) and Premachandran joined him.[2][3] He took on the nom de guerre Suresh and was a member of the EPRLF's central committee and politburo.[2] Premachandran took on the leadership of EPRLF following the assassination of Pathmanabha by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam on 19 June 1990.
Career
Premachandran was one of the ENDLF/EPRLF/TELO/TULF alliance's candidates in Jaffna District at the 1989 parliamentary election. He was elected and entered Parliament.[4]
On 20 October 2001 the All Ceylon Tamil Congress, EPRLF, Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization and Tamil United Liberation Front formed the Tamil National Alliance (TNA).[5][6] He contested the 2001 parliamentary election as one of the TNA's candidates in Jaffna District but failed to get elected.[7]
Premachandran contested the 2004 parliamentary election as one of the TNA's candidates in Jaffna District. He was elected and re-entered Parliament.[8] He was re-elected at the 2010 parliamentary election.[9] He failed to get re-elected at the 2015 parliamentary election after coming seventh amongst the TNA candidates.[10][11][12]
Electoral history
| Election | Constituency | Party | Votes | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 parliamentary[4] | Jaffna District | EPRLF | 20,738 | Elected |
| 2001 parliamentary[7] | Jaffna District | TNA | 13,302 | Not elected |
| 2004 parliamentary[8] | Jaffna District | TNA | 45,786 | Elected |
| 2010 parliamentary[9] | Jaffna District | TNA | 16,425 | Elected |
| 2015 parliamentary[13] | Jaffna District | TNA | 29,906 | Not elected |
