Mahinda-Sam meet today after historic northern poll

Friday, 4 October 2013 06:33 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Following the monumental victory of the Tamil National Alliance at the Northern Provincial Council election last month, Party Leader R. Sampanthan will meet President Mahinda Rajapaksa for talks today. The President is expected to meet the TNA Leader at 8:30 a.m. sources told the Daily FT. The pair last met in July this year. Likely on the agenda will be the oath-taking ceremony for the Northern Province Chief Minister Justice C.V. Wigneswaran, which has been a sticking point with the TNA expressing unwillingness to allow its Chief Minister to be sworn in before the Province’s military Governor, G.A. Chandrasiri.

The TNA has invited President Rajapaksa to Jaffna to administer the oath of office to the country’s first Chief Minister of the North in a gesture of goodwill. The discussions will also range on the party’s position with regard to the 13th Amendment and cooperation between the central Government and the TNA-led Northern Provincial Council going forward. The replacement of the Northern Governor with a civilian may also be discussed during the meeting, sources said. The Government is reportedly mulling Chandrasiri’s replacement as calls escalate internationally for a return to civilian rule in the formerly embattled north. The relationship between the ruling UPFA and the TNA has been strained ever since talks between the two collapsed in January 2012 over a political settlement to the ethnic problem. Since the TNA captured 30 seats in the 38 seat Northern Provincial Council that will hold its inaugural session later this month, both the Government and the Tamil party have echoed calls for cooperation.