President Anura Kumara Dissanayake today (03) met representatives of an alliance comprising six Tamil and Muslim political parties to discuss constitutional reforms, Provincial Council elections and a range of issues affecting Tamil-speaking communities.
The meeting, held at the Presidential Secretariat, focused on the government's proposal to introduce a new Constitution, the long-delayed Provincial Council elections and concerns relating to the Northern and Eastern provinces and the Malayagam community.
Addressing the issue of Provincial Council elections, President Dissanayake said a Parliamentary Select Committee has been appointed to examine matters relating to the conduct of the polls and that he expects to engage with the committee on the issues raised, the President’s Media Division said in a statement.
The President reiterated the government's commitment to constitutional reform, including the abolition of the Executive Presidency, but stressed that the immediate priority is to build a broad national consensus rather than pursue a hastily drafted constitutional amendment.
During the meeting, ITAK General Secretary M.A. Sumanthiran stated that a new constitution should emerge through an inclusive national dialogue and not be introduced unilaterally by a single political party.
The discussion also covered measures to improve the living standards of the Malayagam community, including the government's proposal to grant estate workers and estate staff legal ownership of 10-perch residential land plots.
President Dissanayake said the government intends to include provisions granting legal ownership of residential land to the Malayagam community when plantation lease agreements with the State come up for renewal before 2042, the PMD noted.
Attendees also discussed housing projects for the Malayagam community and the government's plans to allocate funding through the 2027 and 2028 Budgets to construct 13,000 houses in two phases for people displaced by the conflict. The President added that permanent housing is also being planned for families affected by Cyclone Ditwah, while temporary shelters and rental assistance will continue until permanent homes are completed.
Representatives of the alliance also raised concerns over the Provincial Council electoral system, the work of the Delimitation Commission, land-related issues, and challenges faced by communities in the Northern and Eastern provinces.
Concluding the meeting, President Dissanayake reaffirmed the government's commitment to addressing longstanding issues through dialogue and encouraged political representatives to pursue solutions that serve the broader national interest, the PMD added.
