TNA parliamentarian and Attorney M.A. Sumanthiran told ColomboPage that three issues related to the re-merger of the North and East Provinces, the implementation of the 13th Amendment and giving land and police powers to the provinces would be further discussed at the next round of talks scheduled to be held on the 14th.
He denied reports that the government is rejecting three of the proposals presented by the TNA.
"The government did not reject them; we were told that they could not be accepted in the manner in which it has been presented. However, there is room for discussion," he said.
However, sources say the government does not favor the TNA's proposal to re-merge the north and east provinces, which was a demand by the LTTE separatists, and land and legislative powers to the provincial councils.
The Northern and Eastern Provinces where the LTTE separatists earlier sought to establish their homeland were temporarily merged against the will of the large majority of Sri Lankans in order to appease the LTTE under the Indo-Lanka Accord of 1987. The Supreme Court in 2006 demerged the two provinces.
Sumanthiran however said that the government was agreeable to a majority of the issues and both parties would further discuss them in order to reach a consensus.
According to Sumanthiran, the proposed parliamentary select committee (PSC) on finding a political solution to the ethnic issue had not been discussed at yesterday's talks.
The appointment of the PSC has been delayed as the TNA is yet to name their representatives to the committee. Sumanthiran earlier said the party would put forward names of their representatives to the PSC after reaching a consensus on the political solution with the government.
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