TNA team meets Indian envoy over power devolution

A five-member TNA delegation met the Indian envoy a day after the first-ever meeting between the party and Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa scheduled on Wednesday to discuss the Constitutional reform process was postponed by the President without citing any reason. 

“A five-member Tamil National Alliance (TNA) delegation led by Hon @R_Sampanthan, MP called on High Commissioner at the India House today. Discussions on devolution and development in #SriLanka including in the Northern and Eastern Provinces were held,” the Indian High Commission said in a tweet on Thursday. 

High Commissioner Baglay stressed India’s longstanding support for the reconciliation that addresses aspirations of the Tamil community for equality, justice, peace and dignity within the framework of a united Sri Lanka and in accordance with the 13th Amendment, the statement said. 

The 13th Amendment is aimed at creating provincial councils in Sri Lanka and enable Sinhalese and Tamil as national languages while preserving English as the link language. 

The TNA since 2015 has been pressing for a reasonable political solution within a United Sri Lanka to fulfil political aspirations of the Tamils. 

They moot the India-backed 13A as the basis for the solution and comes amidst ideas expressed by Rajapaksa’s ruling SLPP that the system of provincial councils must be abolished.