Sri Lanka Muslim party to mediate between Tamil party and government for a political solution

Sri Lanka's governing party ally, the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) is to act as a mediator to get the major Tamil party, Tamil National Alliance (TNA), back on the negotiating table with the government to discuss a political solution to the ethnic issue. SLMC Leader, Justice Minister Rauf Hakeem is to meet the TNA to discuss issues related to the dialogue between the government and the TNA. Hakeem told
 that India's Opposition Leader Sushma Swaraj at a meeting with the SLMC during her recent visit to Sri Lanka with an Indian parliamentary delegation had requested him to act as a facilitator to get the TNA to negotiate with the government. She has said that the stalemate in the dialogue on a political solution to the ethnic issue needed to be broken. Hakeem said that he would discuss with TNA Leader R. Sampanthan about discussing the political solution with the government in order to reach a consensus on moving forward with the proposed Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) appointed to formulate reforms to devolve power to the ethnic minorities. The talks between the government and the TNA reached a stalemate earlier this year when the government insists on TNA to name their representatives to the PSC and TNA maintained that the party would not make representations to the PSC until a consensus is reached between the government and the TNA.