Power sharing must be within federal structure: TNA

Clarifying its position on a political solution for the national question, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) said today (31) that power sharing must be done within a federal structure consistent with the aspirations of the Tamil people.

“Our position is that power sharing must be in a federal structure, consistent with the aspirations of the Tamil people expressed at every election since 1956,” TNA MP M.A.Sumanthiran said.

He said this in a statement issued clarifying the party’s position with regard to the political solution for the Tamil national question, the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, the conduct of the long delayed provincial council elections and the All-Party Conference convened by President Ranil Wickremesinghe

The TNA said that the 13A is a part of the Constitution of Sri Lanka and not a separate appendage. 

“The President and all of us have taken an oath to uphold and defend it.Thus the non-implementation of any part of the Constitution is a violation of the whole. To that extent, we insist on the full implementation of the 13A,” it said.

The TNA said that it reiterated the party’s position at all the All-Party Conferences that have been held so far.

“There was absolutely no change of positions by the TNA; nor is there any contradiction between calling for immediate provincial council elections and enhanced and meaningful devolution. In fact, one without the other is meaningless,” it said.

The full statement: