Following an invitation from the newly-formed Maithripala Sirisena government to join Cabinet, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has declined to be part of it.
TNA leaders, it is reliably learnt, told President Sirisena on Monday that while they were not rejecting the offer, they would consider it later, if the new government “moved in the right direction” the party’s leaders told The Hindu . The TNA conveyed that for now, the party will not join the Cabinet, according TNA parliamentarian and lawyer M.A. Sumanthiran.
“We had not considered joining the Cabinet earlier, but had decided to support this government nevertheless,” said TNA leader R. Sampanthan, who headed a party delegation that met President Sirisena on Friday.
“The government appears to have started moving on matters pertaining to the Tamils,” he said, adding that he raised concerns over land, persons who were being detained indefinitely, the administration of the provincial council in the island’s north and east as “matters of immediate response.”
The President, TNA leaders said, was receptive and responded positively to the party’s demands. “The suffering of our people should come to an end,” Mr. Sampanthan said.
Sources in political circles said there were apparent efforts to replace the Northern Province Governor — a former army major general — with a civilian, something that the TNA has been demanding for a long time.
Following Sri Lanka’s January 8 elections, a 27-member Cabinet, to be led by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, was sworn in on Monday. United National Party parliamentarian Mangala Samaraweera assumed charge as Foreign Minister, a portfolio he has earlier held.
The Marxist Jathika Vimukthi Peramuna, which like the TNA backed Mr. Sirisena’s candidacy in the elections, has decided to support the government from outside.
