Leaders and representatives of six Tamil-speaking political parties that agreed earlier this month to work together met at the Parliament Complex and reaffirmed their commitment to engage collectively on issues affecting Tamil-speaking communities, according to Ada Derana.
The grouping — which brings together parties including the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK), the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, the Ceylon Workers’ Congress, the Tamil Progressive Alliance, the All Ceylon Makkal Congress and the Democratic Tamil National Alliance — said it intends to seek a meeting with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to press its shared concerns.
The parties formally launched their common platform in mid-July, agreeing to speak with one voice on matters of collective interest while retaining their individual political identities. Their agenda has centred on long-standing demands, including the revival of the stalled constitutional reform process, the holding of long-overdue Provincial Council elections, and the resolution of land issues in the former conflict-affected North and East.
At the latest meeting, the representatives said continued coordination among the parties was essential to advancing these issues through dialogue with the government. They indicated that a formal request for a meeting with the President would be made to place their common positions before the head of state.
The joint initiative marks one of the more coordinated efforts by Tamil and Muslim parties in recent years to present a unified front, and its progress is likely to be closely watched ahead of any renewed talks on devolution and delayed local polls.
