President Assures Tamil-Speaking Parties of Progress on New Constitution
04-Aug-2026.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has acknowledged delays in the process of drafting a new Constitution and assured representatives of Tamil-speaking political parties that the work would be expedited.
He also reaffirmed that the Government's position on abolishing the Executive Presidency remains unchanged.
The meeting, held at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo on August 3, was attended by representatives of six Tamil-speaking political parties, namely the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK), All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC), Ceylon Workers' Congress (CWC), Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), Democratic Tamil National Alliance (DTNA) and the Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA).
During the nearly two-hour discussion, party representatives expressed concern over the delay in initiating constitutional reforms promised in the National People's Power (NPP) election manifesto and the continued existence of the Executive Presidency.
Responding to these concerns, the President admitted that the constitutional reform process had been delayed and pledged to move it forward without altering the Government's commitment to abolishing the Executive Presidency.
Representatives also urged the President to hold the long-delayed Provincial Council elections at the earliest, suggesting that the elections be conducted under the existing system before introducing electoral reforms.
The President stated that the Government would take further decisions after considering the report of the committee appointed to study the issue.
The discussion also covered the release of private lands occupied by the military in the Northern and Eastern Provinces. The President said he had requested the military to explain why certain lands had not yet been released and reiterated his commitment to resolving the issue.
Representatives of the Tamil parties also raised concerns over the distribution of 10-perch land allotments to estate communities. According to them, the President indicated that discussions with plantation companies would be necessary before implementing the proposal.
The President also sought the views of M.A. Sumanthiran and Rauff Hakeem on the proposal to increase the retirement age of judges. Both leaders reportedly rejected the proposal, stating that the judiciary and the wider legal community were opposed to it.
Concluding the meeting, President Dissanayake welcomed the unity displayed by Tamil-speaking parties in addressing issues affecting their communities, while encouraging them to engage more actively on broader national issues as well.
