Sunday, January 15, 2012 Krishna to meet TNA on the 16th
By Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema
S. M. Krishna
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) representatives are to communicate to Indian External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna about the lack of progress made in the talks between the TNA and the Sri Lankan government on finding a political solution to the ethnic issue.
Krishna is scheduled to meet with representatives of the TNA tomorrow (16) soon after he arrives in the country.
TNA Parliamentarian and Attorney-at-law M. A. Sumanthiran said the party would communicate the progress, or lack of it, in the talks between the TNA and the government.
“We cannot say that there has been progress made in the talks,” he observed.
He told The Sunday Leader that the talks on finding a political solution to the ethnic issue that commenced in January 2011 between the TNA and the government has taken almost one year to reach a substantive level.
He explained that it was only on December 6, 2011 that the TNA and the government commenced substantive talks on a final political solution.
At the December 6 talks, the TNA pushed for the re-merger of the Northern and Eastern provinces. The government, however, has not yet responded to the issue.
Sumanthiran said that at the last round of discussions in December last year, attention was paid to the allocation of land powers to the provinces.
The next round of talks between the government and the TNA are scheduled to commence on Tuesday (17) and is to continue on 18 and 19 as well.
The talks will coincide with Krishna’s visit to Sri Lanka.
Speaking on the lack of progress in the talks, Sumanthiran observed that the government had not responded to the proposal by the TNA to hold talks with the government on finding a political solution according to a timetable. “In our view, the talks on a political solution should have concluded quickly,” he said. The TNA however maintains that the party would not name any representatives to the proposed parliamentary select committee (PSC) to find a political solution to the ethnic issue until the party with the government reaches a substantive agreement.
Krishna is scheduled to meet with representatives of the TNA tomorrow (16) soon after he arrives in the country.
TNA Parliamentarian and Attorney-at-law M. A. Sumanthiran said the party would communicate the progress, or lack of it, in the talks between the TNA and the government.
“We cannot say that there has been progress made in the talks,” he observed.
He told The Sunday Leader that the talks on finding a political solution to the ethnic issue that commenced in January 2011 between the TNA and the government has taken almost one year to reach a substantive level.
He explained that it was only on December 6, 2011 that the TNA and the government commenced substantive talks on a final political solution.
At the December 6 talks, the TNA pushed for the re-merger of the Northern and Eastern provinces. The government, however, has not yet responded to the issue.
Sumanthiran said that at the last round of discussions in December last year, attention was paid to the allocation of land powers to the provinces.
The next round of talks between the government and the TNA are scheduled to commence on Tuesday (17) and is to continue on 18 and 19 as well.
The talks will coincide with Krishna’s visit to Sri Lanka.
Speaking on the lack of progress in the talks, Sumanthiran observed that the government had not responded to the proposal by the TNA to hold talks with the government on finding a political solution according to a timetable. “In our view, the talks on a political solution should have concluded quickly,” he said. The TNA however maintains that the party would not name any representatives to the proposed parliamentary select committee (PSC) to find a political solution to the ethnic issue until the party with the government reaches a substantive agreement.
