Sri Lanka, Feb. 2 -- The recent vote to elect the new leader of the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK) and the subsequent election of MP Sivagnanam Shritharan to the high post has received widespread attention. A political novelty, the democratic electoral process within a party for the leadership has never happened in the 74-year history of the ITAK, nor in the history of other Tamil parties. The situation isn't any different among political parties in the South either.

In most parties, leadership is a family affair. Rarely is a party leader, once his positional or authoritarian leadership is established, is democratically elected through a referendum. At least in recent times. In that sense, the election of the leader of the Sri Lankan ...