TNA to complain about lack of progress in talks with Government

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) is to inform India’s External Affairs Minister S.M Krishna that there is a lack of progress in the talks with the Government on finding a political solution to the ethnic issue.

Krishna is due to commence a four-day official visit to Sri Lanka today and he is scheduled to meet with TNA representatives tomorrow soon after his arrival.

TNA Parliamentarian and Attorney, M.A Sumanthiran said the party would communicate to the Indian External Affairs Minister about the progress, or lack of it, in the talks between the TNA and the Government. Sumanthiran has noted that there has not been much progress made in the talks since it had taken almost a year to reach a substantive point in the dialogue.

The talks on finding a political solution to the ethnic issue commenced in January 2011. Sumanthiran has noted that it was only on 6 December, 2011 that the TNA and the Government commenced substantive talks on a final political solution.

The discussion at the 6 December talks was based on the TNA’s request to re-merge the Northern and Eastern provinces. The last round of discussions in December last year was focused on the devolution of land powers to the provinces.

According to Sumanthiran, the Government had not responded to a request made by the TNA to hold the discussions according to a timetable in order to find a solution soon. Government Spokesman and Media and Information Minister Keheliya Rambukwella recently accused the TNA of dragging its feet without making a final commitment.

The Minister complained that the Tamil party runs away from the talks halfway and creates a deadlock to portray a situation to the international community that the Government of Sri Lanka was giving nothing to them.

He said the Government has serious concerns about devolving absolute police powers to the provinces but the Government is ready to consider its scope provided the TNA put forward its proposals at the talks with the Government.

The next round of talks between the Government and the TNA is scheduled to commence on Tuesday (17) and to continue till 19 January.

(Colombo Page)