Dissanayake meets Tamil minority leaders, prioritises national consensus over hasty Constitution
Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake met leaders of political parties representing the island's Tamil-speaking minorities on August 3, 2026, and underscored the need for a 'national consensus' rather than a hastily drafted new Constitution, according to a statement from the President's office.
The meeting brought together leaders from various Tamil, Tamil-speaking Muslim, and Malaiyaha Tamil political formations. These communities recently launched a common platform called the Political Council for Tamil-Speaking People to address issues affecting their constituencies. The platform includes the All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC), Ceylon Workers' Congress (CWC), Democratic Tamil National Alliance (DTNA), Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK), Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), and the Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA).
The council has identified a limited programme focusing on three key areas: introducing a new Constitution, holding long-pending Provincial Council elections, and resolving conflicts surrounding people's land. During the discussion, President Dissanayake reaffirmed the government's position that the Constitution needs reform and that the Executive Presidency should be abolished. However, he stressed that, rather than pursuing a hastily drafted constitutional amendment, the priority at this stage is to build a new national consensus. He emphasised the importance of initiating a broad and inclusive national dialogue to achieve that objective.
According to the President's office, former Jaffna MP and ITAK General Secretary M.A. Sumanthiran intervened to say that a new Constitution should not be 'introduced unilaterally' by a single party, as was the case with the Constitutions of 1948, 1972, and 1978. Instead, it should evolve through national dialogue addressing the concerns of diverse communities.
On the much-delayed Provincial Council elections, which the ruling National People's Power had promised to hold within a year of winning the 2024 national elections, Mr. Dissanayake pointed to ongoing efforts by a parliamentary select committee tasked with resolving pending issues related to conducting the polls. ITAK's Shanakiyan Rasamanickam, the sitting MP for Batticaloa district, said in a social media post that the group had made it clear that postponing elections on the grounds of awaiting the committee's report is unacceptable, and urged the President to direct the relevant commission to submit its report before the scheduled date so that the electoral process can proceed without unnecessary delay.
Opposition MP M. Nizam Kariapper of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress described the meetings with President Dissanayake and Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa as 'constructive and encouraging'. He noted that the President recognised the people's right to Provincial Council elections, while the Leader of the Opposition reaffirmed his commitment to the full implementation of the 13th Amendment, including devolution of police and land powers. Mr. Kariapper added that the real test lies in turning these commitments into action, and that his party would continue to engage and advocate until these promises become a reality.
The discussion also focused on contestations concerning people's lands, including those controlled by the military in the war-affected north and east, as well as the persisting demand of Malaiyaha Tamils for land rights and related infrastructure. The leaders of Tamil-speaking minorities have said they will keep pressing for concrete progress on these issues in the weeks ahead.
