Govt.-TNA talks on Friday

The Government will hold talks with the major Tamil constituent Tamil National Alliance (TNA) immediately after the local government elections, a TNA legislator told local media.

The talks between the government and the TNA will be held on 18 March, said the TNA MP Suresh Premachandran.

The Government earlier planned to hold the third round of talks with the TNA at the beginning of March. However, the government later postponed them to 22 or 23 March due to the ongoing campaign for the local government elections.

The postponement of the meeting caused much concern within the party and parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran has said that they would propose the government to draw a time frame for the dialogue and TNA would suggest completing the dialogue within the stipulated time frame.

An early date for the third round of talks was given on the request of the TNA.

TNA MP Premachandran said the party expects to come to an agreement with the Government regarding a political solution. TNA would also focus on the issues of the Tamil Tiger suspects in custody and the problems of the resettled IDPs.

The first round of talks between the TNA and the government held on 10 January focused on the economic and social issues of the Tamils.

The second round of talks was held on 3 February.

Discussions between the TNA and the government commenced in order to address issues related to the resettlement of people in the North, the troubles faced by Jaffna fishermen and finding a solution to the ethnic issue.

MPs Suresh Premachandran, Mavai Senadhiraja and M.A.Sumanthiran will represent the Tamil National Alliance delegation while Ministers Rathnasiri Wickramanayaka, Nimal Siripala de Silva, and Prof. G.L. Peiris will participate for the Government.