TNA wants ‘a credible response’
By Ananth Palakidnar -December 21, 2013
Leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), R. Sampanthan, responding to an invitation extended by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, said the TNA was prepared for talks, but insisted the government reciprocate with ‘a credible response.’
President Rajapaksa on Friday (20) invited the TNA and Northern Province Chief Minister, C.V. Wigneswaran, to resume long-stalled talks to seek a political solution to the national question.
“We have never said that we are not prepared for the talks. The TNA expects that the government should engage in a meaningful manner,” he said noting the TNA submitted to the government a set of proposals for a political solution, but the government has failed to respond to them.
“Earlier, on 17, 18 and 19 January 2012, three dates were fixed to discuss the issues with regard to the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC). However, the government did not respond positively and the meetings were not held on those three dates or even after that. Therefore, the government was solely responsible for keeping away from the talks and not the TNA,” Sampanthan said.
Commenting on the PSC, the TNA Chief said that certain key allies in the government were not for the 13th Amendment to the Constitution and that they wanted it to be nullified. Therefore, the TNA was of the view that the PSC could not succeed when the hardliners in the government were all out to deny the powers to be devolved under the 13th Amendment.
Responding to the international community’s role in the Lankan Tamil issue, Sampanthan said the international community’s role was different. “It has expressed concerns over several other matters. However, the international community is also concerned over a meaningful solution to our problem and we should not get confused over the role of the international community,” he added.
On Friday, during the Budget debate, President Rajapaksa invited the TNA to hold talks to seek a political solution.
“I invite Sampanthan and Northern Chief Minister, Wigneswaran to join hands for the sake of peace and national reconciliation,” Rajapaksa said in the Parliament during the debate.
By Ananth Palakidnar -December 21, 2013
Leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), R. Sampanthan, responding to an invitation extended by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, said the TNA was prepared for talks, but insisted the government reciprocate with ‘a credible response.’President Rajapaksa on Friday (20) invited the TNA and Northern Province Chief Minister, C.V. Wigneswaran, to resume long-stalled talks to seek a political solution to the national question.
“We have never said that we are not prepared for the talks. The TNA expects that the government should engage in a meaningful manner,” he said noting the TNA submitted to the government a set of proposals for a political solution, but the government has failed to respond to them.
“Earlier, on 17, 18 and 19 January 2012, three dates were fixed to discuss the issues with regard to the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC). However, the government did not respond positively and the meetings were not held on those three dates or even after that. Therefore, the government was solely responsible for keeping away from the talks and not the TNA,” Sampanthan said.
Commenting on the PSC, the TNA Chief said that certain key allies in the government were not for the 13th Amendment to the Constitution and that they wanted it to be nullified. Therefore, the TNA was of the view that the PSC could not succeed when the hardliners in the government were all out to deny the powers to be devolved under the 13th Amendment.
Responding to the international community’s role in the Lankan Tamil issue, Sampanthan said the international community’s role was different. “It has expressed concerns over several other matters. However, the international community is also concerned over a meaningful solution to our problem and we should not get confused over the role of the international community,” he added.
On Friday, during the Budget debate, President Rajapaksa invited the TNA to hold talks to seek a political solution.
“I invite Sampanthan and Northern Chief Minister, Wigneswaran to join hands for the sake of peace and national reconciliation,” Rajapaksa said in the Parliament during the debate.
