PRESIDENT MEETS SAMPANTHAN AHEAD OF POLLS IN NORTH
July 12, 2013
President Mahinda Rajapaksa has held talks with the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) on holding free and fair elections in the country’s north, days after the main Tamil party skipped a key parliamentary panel meet on devolving power to provinces.
The TNA’s leader R. Sampanthan met with Rajapaksa yesterday and discussed holding free and fair elections in the region, a statement from the TNA said.
“The President expressed his desire to solve all outstanding issues relating to the National question,” it said.
The TNA leader also reiterated the party’s commitment to evolution of an acceptable, workable and durable political solution within the framework of a united undivided country, the statement added.
Other matters related to resettling people on the land earlier occupied by them, minimising the military presence and release of political prisoners also came up during the talks, PTI reported.
The meeting came on a day the Commissioner of Elections commenced the process of accepting nomination papers for the much awaited elections in the former Tamil Tigers-held areas after a gap of 25 years.
The nominations for the September elections will close on August 1.
The TNA’s leader R. Sampanthan met with Rajapaksa yesterday and discussed holding free and fair elections in the region, a statement from the TNA said.
“The President expressed his desire to solve all outstanding issues relating to the National question,” it said.
The TNA leader also reiterated the party’s commitment to evolution of an acceptable, workable and durable political solution within the framework of a united undivided country, the statement added.
Other matters related to resettling people on the land earlier occupied by them, minimising the military presence and release of political prisoners also came up during the talks, PTI reported.
The meeting came on a day the Commissioner of Elections commenced the process of accepting nomination papers for the much awaited elections in the former Tamil Tigers-held areas after a gap of 25 years.
The nominations for the September elections will close on August 1.
