No truth on reports of Indian pressure on President Rajapaksa, Sampanthan tells Thamilosai

The Tamil National Alliance is prepared to talk with President Mahinda Rajapaksa on solutions to the ethnic problem, TNA Parliamentary group leader R. Sampanthan has told BBC’s Thamilosai.

External Affairs Minister Professor G.L. Peiris has already spoken to the TNA regarding certain issues, Mr. Sampanthan has reported to have said. He has added that during this discussion, initial dialogs on constitutional amendments too were discussed.

However, Mr. Sampanthan has said that though it was stated during these discussions that the President was to meet the TNA soon, even after a lapse of two weeks no invitation has been forthcoming from the President.

The TNA leader has told Thamilosai that it was inappropriate to divulge details of the discussions with Minister Prof. Peiris at this moment. However he has said the all he could say now was that a rough idea of what a final solution could be to the problems faced by the Tamils in Sri Lanka was discussed.

He has further stated that the TNA had announced its willingness to discuss solutions to grievances faced by the Tamils immediately after the General Elections. But he has said that there was no truth in reports that India had pressurized President Mahinda Rajapaksa to discuss solutions to the ethnic conflict with the TNA before President Rajapaksa left on his visit to India on June 8.

At the same time, Mr. Sampanthan had admitted that the TNA was in discussion with Indiaon several issues.