Lankan President and Tamil National Alliance find common ground

By P.K.Balachandran

Lankan President Rajapaksa has said that, as the leader of the entire nation, he will pay his attention to all citizens equally, irrespective of ethnicity or creed.

The President made these remarks at a discussion held with the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) at the Presidential Secretariat, on Friday.  

The President further said that the government is working on a number of issues, including the release of suspects held in long-term detention, taking further actions regarding suspects who have not been charged or prosecuted, launching a truth-finding mechanism, amending the Prevention of Terrorism Act and resolving of issues related to missing persons.

President Rajapaksa pointed out that the country can move towards development by working together to achieve the objectives of the people of the country, including those who live in the Tamil-speaking North and the East.

TNA Leader R. Sampanthan said that he hopes to see the country moving towards prosperity with a political solution in a united Sri Lanka.

“We must unite as a country,” Sampanthan said. “It is the responsibility of everyone to work together to overcome the current challenges as one country and one nation,” he added.

Sampanthan said he would like to see Sri Lanka becoming the “Switzerland of the East”.

Attention was paid to taking further steps in regard to those who are held in long-term detention, releasing lands that had been previously used for cultivation, investigation of missing persons, discussion of amendments to the new Constitution after translating it into Tamil and Sinhala, and the establishment of a North-East Development Fund.

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, Ministers Prof. G.L. Peiris, Chamal Rajapaksa and Ali Sabry, Secretary to the President Gamini Senarath, Principal Advisor to the President Lalith Weeratunga, TNA MPs M.A. Sumanthiran, Charles Nirmalanathan, Sivagnanam Sridharan, Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran, Thavaraja Kalai Arasan, Selvam Adaikkalanathan, S. Noharathalingam and Govindan Karunakaram were also present on the occasiorn.