Leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), R. Sampanthan warned the government would fall into a serious problem, if it did not fulfil the political aspirations of the Tamils. Any constructive solution to the Tamil issue cannot be rejected in the manner the Banda-Chelva and the Dudley-Chelva pacts were rejected in the past.
The TNA Leader made his observations on the forthcoming Eastern Provincial Council polls and on the government’s stance with regard to the Northern Provincial Council polls, when he met a group of university students at his residence in Trincomalee, on Wednesday.
“Earlier, the good efforts made to find a durable settlement to the Tamil question in the country were rejected by the governments that were in power. However, with the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution passed against Sri Lanka early in March, and with the pressure mounting over the implementation of the recommendations in the report of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), the government cannot simply evade bringing a meaningful political solution to the Tamil question in the country,” Sampanthan said.
Commenting on the postponement of the Northern Provincial polls, the TNA chief said the government first announced the polls for the Northern Province would be held in 2010.
Then the announcement came that the Northern PC polls would be conducted in 2011. Thereafter, it was said the PC polls for North would be held in 2012. Now the President has announced the PC elections for the North would be conducted in 2013.
“The government has given lame excuses to delay the Northern Provincial polls. Pointing out the reasons for the postponement of the Northern PC polls, the government has said that several areas in the North have to be cleared of land mines, and the new voters register has to be prepared. So how come the Parliamentary polls, Presidential polls and the Local Government polls were held in the last few years in the North? The government is very well aware if it goes for a Northern Provincial Council poll it will be defeated badly. Therefore, with lame excuses, the Northern PC polls are being postponed,” he added.
Expressing his views on the forthcoming PC polls in the East, he said, the Eastern PC Polls were supposed to be held in 2013. But it has been brought forward to this year.” The government is trying to show the outside world that the people of the Eastern Province are with it. But, the people in the East are aware of the ulterior intentions of the government .The Eastern PC Elections outcome should highlight the political aspirations of the Tamils and emphasize on government expediting the political solution,” he said