Tamil parties urge President to fulfil pledges; bring new Constitution, hold PC polls and grant land rights

Six Tamil-speaking political parties yesterday jointly urged President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to immediately resume the constitutional reform process, hold the long-delayed Provincial Council (PC) Elections, and implement the National People’s Power (NPP)-Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led Hatton Declaration by distributing abandoned plantation lands to estate workers for housing and livelihoods. The call came as the parties formally launched a common political platform aimed at collectively voicing issues affecting Tamil-speaking communities while retaining their individual political identities. Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) Leader Mano Ganesan said the initiative was not about creating another political alliance, but about working together to advance power-sharing, democratic governance, and equal rights. “We are here to discuss ways and means of becoming more and more Sri Lankan with substantial power-sharing and equitable sharing of resources. We urge President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to recommence the constitutional process, as he personally and officially promised. We discussed this with him and he agreed to continue from where the process had been suspended. We now urge him to do so without delay,” Ganesan said. Referring to the long-overdue PC Elections, Ganesan, who is a member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on electoral reforms, said they were dissatisfied with the continued postponement of the provincial polls despite repeated assurances by the Government. He also called on the Government to resolve longstanding land disputes affecting Tamil-speaking communities, including those involving State institutions such as the military, the Mahaweli Authority, and the Department of Archaeology. “We urge the Government to implement the NPP-JVP’s Hatton Declaration by releasing abandoned and uncultivated plantation lands to estate workers,” he stressed. The newly established platform brings together the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK), Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), TPA, All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC), Democratic Tamil National Alliance (DTNA), and the Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC). Leaders of these political parties told the media briefing held in Colombo yesterday that the parties had agreed to work collectively on issues of common concern while maintaining the freedom to pursue their own political stances on different issues. They have identified three immediate priorities: Constitutional reform with meaningful power-sharing; the conduct of PC Elections without further delay; and the resolution of land issues affecting Tamil, Muslim, and Malaiyaha Tamil communities. ITAK General Secretary M.A. Sumanthiran, describing the initiative as a historic milestone, said that it was the first time in decades that political representatives of the Northern, Eastern, Malaiyaha Tamil, and Muslim communities had established a collective political network to voice on agreed issues pertaining to Tamil-speaking communities. “This is a platform where Tamil-speaking parties can raise a common voice on issues that affect us all. It is not an alliance. Each party remains free to hold its own political views, but where there is common ground, we will work together because a united voice carries greater strength,” he said. Stressing that there should be no further postponement of PC Elections, which had originally been promised within a year of the Government assuming office, Sumanthiran said the Government’s own election manifesto had pledged to introduce a new Constitution. “Historically, Tamil-speaking communities have worked together when fundamental issues affecting them arose. This platform revives that spirit of cooperation,” he explained. SLMC Leader Rauff Hakeem stressed that the initiative should not be viewed as a communal or anti-majority political move. “Our coming together should never be interpreted as an effort directed against any community. Every party represented here is fully committed to Sri Lanka’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. This platform exists to discuss issues where we share common interests and to advocate collectively on behalf of the communities we represent,” he said. Hakeem also clarified that the new political platform was neither aligned with the Opposition nor opposed to the Government, but intended to function as an independent forum to discuss issues affecting Tamil-speaking people. According to CWC General Secretary and MP Jeevan Thondaman, the initiative is a long-felt need of Tamil-speaking communities. “People have wanted to see unity among Tamil-speaking political parties for many years. This is not about political bargaining or deciding which party gains the most. It is about speaking with one voice on issues where common action can bring equitable results,” he said, adding that all Tamil-speaking people are Sri Lankans. Thondaman said although all communities proudly identified themselves as Sri Lankans, longstanding shortcomings relating to land rights, resource allocation, and development continued to disproportionately affect Tamil-speaking communities and required coordinated political engagement. Coordinator of the six-party initiative and ITAK MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam also describing the new platform as a historic moment in Sri Lanka’s political history said that after many decades, Tamil-speaking political parties had agreed to work together on matters of common concern relating to Tamil-speaking people. The representatives reaffirmed their commitment to continued dialogue through this platform and expressed hope that a common approach on these issues would contribute to reconciliation, democratic governance, and the protection of the rights of all communities in Sri Lanka.

Tamil parties urge President to fulfil pledges; bring new Constitution, hold PC polls and grant land rights | Daily FT