Suresh Premachandran
{{Short description|Sri Lankan politician (born 1957)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific-prefix = Hon.
|name = Suresh Premachandran
|native_name = சுரேஷ் பிரேமச்சந்திரன்
|native_name_lang = ta
|honorific-suffix = MP
|image = Suresh Premachandran.jpg
|imagesize =
|constituency_MP1 = Jaffna District
|parliament1 = Sri Lankan
|majority1 =
|term_start1 = 1989
|term_end1 = 1994
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|successor1 =
|majority2 =
|term_start2 = 2004
|term_end2 = 2015
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|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1957|11|08|df=yes}}
|birth_place = Jaffna, Dominion of Ceylon
|death_date =
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|citizenship =
|nationality = Sri Lankan
|party = Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front
|otherparty = Tamil National Alliance
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}}
Arumugam Kandaiah Premachandran ({{langx|ta|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).
Early life
Premachandran was born on 8 November 1957, the son of a farmer.{{cite web|title=Directory of Members: Kandaiah Premachandran|url=http://www.parliament.lk/en/members-of-parliament/directory-of-members/viewMember/1448|publisher=Parliament of Sri Lanka}}{{cite book|last1=de Silva|first1=W. P. P.|last2=Ferdinando|first2=T. C. L.|title=9th Parliament of Sri Lanka|publisher=Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited|page=266|url=http://noolaham.net/project/148/14715/14715.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150623233447/http://noolaham.net/project/148/14715/14715.pdf|archive-date=2015-06-23}} He was educated at Uruthirapuram Maha Vidyalayam and Senguntha Hindu College. He then joined Waterloo College, London and Madras Christian College where he studied political science.
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). He received military training from the Palestinians in Lebanon. In 1979 K. Pathmanabha left EROS to form the Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) and Premachandran joined him.{{cite journal|title=`Keep the military alternative intact'|journal=Frontline|date=9 October 2004|volume=21|issue=21|url=http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl2121/stories/20041022002005400.htm}} He took on the nom de guerre Suresh and was a member of the EPRLF's central committee and politburo. 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/Results_1989%20GENERAL%20ELECTION.PDF|title=Result of Parliamentary General Election 1989|publisher=Department of Elections, Sri Lanka|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20090304101343/http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/Results_1989%20GENERAL%20ELECTION.PDF|archive-date=2009-03-04}}
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).{{cite news|last1=Jeyaraj|first1=D. B. S.|author-link1=|title=Tamil National Alliance enters critical third phase - 1|url=http://www.dailymirror.lk/print/index.php/opinion1/6933.html|work=The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100404042520/http://www.dailymirror.lk/print/index.php/opinion1/6933.html|archive-date=4 April 2010}}{{cite news|title=Tamil parties sign MOU|url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=6400|newspaper=TamilNet|date=20 October 2001}} He contested the 2001 parliamentary election as one of the TNA's candidates in Jaffna District but failed to get elected.{{cite journal|date=15 December 2001|title=How they performed in the Jaffna District|journal=Tamil Times|volume=XX|issue=12|page=5|issn=0266-4488|url=http://noolaham.net/project/37/3608/3608.pdf}}
Premachandran contested the 2004 parliamentary election as one of the TNA's candidates in Jaffna District. He was elected and re-entered Parliament.{{cite web|url=http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/Preference2004GE.pdf|title=General Election 2004 Preferences|publisher=Department of Elections, Sri Lanka|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100304015514/http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/Preference2004GE.pdf|archive-date=2010-03-04}} He was re-elected at the 2010 parliamentary election.{{cite web|url=http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/GE2010_preferences/Jaffna_pref_GE2010.pdf|title=Parliamentary General Election - 2010 Jaffna Preferences|publisher=Department of Elections, Sri Lanka|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100513035254/http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/GE2010_preferences/Jaffna_pref_GE2010.pdf|archive-date=2010-05-13}} He failed to get re-elected at the 2015 parliamentary election after coming seventh amongst the TNA candidates.{{cite news|title=TNA secures 16 of 29 SL parliamentary seats in North-Eas|url=https://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=37893|work=TamilNet|date=18 August 2015}}{{cite news|last1=Santiago|first1=Melanie|title=General Election 2015: Several former MPs will not return to parliament|url=http://newsfirst.lk/english/2015/08/several-former-mps-will-not-return-to-parliament/107443|work=News First|date=18 August 2015}}{{cite news|title="ரி.என்.ஏ", "ஈ.பி.டி.பி", "யு.என்.பி" போன்ற கட்சி முக்கியஸ்தர்களின் யாழ் மாவட்ட விருப்புவாக்கு விபரம்…!!|url=http://www.athirady.com/tamil-news/infomation/642492.html|work=Athirady News|date=19 August 2015|language=ta}}
Electoral history
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left;"
|+ Electoral history of Suresh Premachandran ! scope=col|Election ! scope=col|Constituency ! scope=col|Party ! scope=col|Votes ! scope=col|Result | ||||
| 1989 parliamentary | Jaffna District | EPRLF | align=right|{{Nts|20738}} | Elected |
| 2001 parliamentary | Jaffna District | TNA | align=right|{{Nts|13302}} | Not elected |
| 2004 parliamentary | Jaffna District | TNA | align=right|{{Nts|45786}} | Elected |
| 2010 parliamentary | Jaffna District | TNA | align=right|{{Nts|16425}} | Elected |
| 2015 parliamentary{{cite web|title=Preferential Votes|url=http://www.srilankanelections.com/assets/pdf/Preferential%20Votes%202015.pdf|publisher=srilankanelections.com}}{{dead link|date=December 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} | Jaffna District | TNA | align=right|{{Nts|29906}} | Not elected |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|position=left}}
{{Members of 13th Parliament of Sri Lanka}}
{{Members of 14th Parliament of Sri Lanka}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Premachandran, Suresh}}
Category:Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front militants
Category:Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front politicians
Category:Eelam Revolutionary Organisation of Students militants
Category:Members of the 9th Parliament of Sri Lanka
Category:Members of the 13th Parliament of Sri Lanka
Category:Members of the 14th Parliament of Sri Lanka
Category:Sri Lankan Tamil rebels