Tamil Parties Urge Government to Pass Chanakyan’s Private Member Bill

14-Jul-2025

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Tamil nationalist political representatives have accused Sinhala nationalist parties of wanting to abolish the Provincial Council system entirely. 

They stressed the urgent need to resist such moves and insisted on immediate Provincial Council elections.

They pointed out that the private member bill currently submitted regarding Provincial Council elections is the same one previously accepted unanimously by the National People's Power (NPP) in 2023. As such, they demanded that the government immediately approve it without delay.

Initial discussions have already begun at the ministerial level to take the necessary legal steps for conducting elections. Focus is also being given to the private member bills previously submitted by MP M.A. Sumanthiran in 2019 and 2023, as well as the 2017 Amendment Bill by Faizer Mustapha.

Minister Chandaana Abeyratne has stated that all stakeholders will be consulted transparently on these issues. M.A. Sumanthiran emphasized that Provincial Councils, inactive for six years, must be revived through elections as per the Constitution, especially since the NPP government has postponed constitutional reforms for three years.

Sumanthiran reiterated that only a minor amendment is required and that delays should not be justified by this. He explained that his 2019 private member bill was not passed due to Parliament dissolution, but the same bill was reintroduced in 2023.

Although the bill passed the second reading in Parliament unanimously, after being amended based on Supreme Court recommendations, it was later removed from the third reading agenda, causing it to lapse.

Since the same bill has now been resubmitted by MP Chanakyan, no new review is needed; instead, it should be passed without delay.

Sivagnanam Shritharan stressed that only functioning Provincial Councils can reveal their efficiency or lack thereof, and thus elections must be conducted without further delay. 

He noted that although health and education powers are theoretically granted to Provincial Councils, they are not fully devolved in practice.

Former MP Dharmalingam Sithadthan, leader of the PLOTE party, emphasized that while the 13th Amendment and the Councils themselves do not provide a complete political solution for Tamils, abandoning them would dismantle even the limited devolution that exists. 

He warned that Sinhala nationalist parties seek to abolish the system entirely and urged strong pressure to hold elections immediately.