Leader of the Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) MP Mano Ganesan wrote to president Ranil Wickremasinghe to call for a meeting with Prime minster, Speaker and Opposition leader to seek the possibilities of building consensus in nominating four Parliamentarians to the constitutional council, representing the ethnic diversity of SriLanka.
Mano Ganesan’s letter to the president Ranil Wickremasinghe:
Constitutional Council
Hon. Speaker, Hon. Prime Minister and Hon. Leader of Opposition would be ex-officio members by their respective offices. The other MPs would be named by Hon. President, Hon. PM, Hon. Leader of Opposition and Minor parties. Please kindly consider that MPs representing the four major Srilankan communities I.e., Sinhalese, N/E Tamils, Muslims and HillCountry Tamils are nominated by consensus. The three civil society nominees may represent gender and other diversities.
National Question
We note your commitment to address the national question with great anticipation. However, we wish to bring to your notice that the national question is not restricted to the north and east but also extended to the south where the 1.5 million strong HillCountry Tamils live. Therefore, please provide us, the legitimate role in discussions.
The northern parties do not represent the HillCountry Tamils live outside northern and eastern provinces.
Plantation segment – Need for a Presidential Task Force
The most under privileged segment within the HillCountry Tamil community lives within the plantations numbering near Five Hundred Thousand (500,000). The UN agencies and World Bank have identified this segment as the most vulnerable group that faces food insecurity and marginalized living conditions in Sri Lanka. Please establish a Presidential Task Force to study and submit affirmative action program proposals to enhance the living conditions of this segment.