Veteran Tamil politician and parliamentarian R. Sampanthan passed away yesterday (June 30).
He was aged 91.
According to reports, he had passed away while receiving treatment at a private hospital in Colombo.
One of the longest functioning MPs, Sampanthan had served in five parliaments since 1977.
He has also led the Tamil National Alliance since 2001.
He was the Leader of the Opposition from September 2015 to December 2018.
On April 2024, Parliament had granted him a leave of three months from attending Parliament sessions as he was receiving medical treatment.