Sri Lanka Tamil party again refuses to name members to proposed parliamentary committee

Sri Lanka's major Tamil political party, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) continues to maintain its stance of refusing to name members to the parliamentary select committee (PSC) proposed by the government to reach consensus on finding a solution to the ethnic issue. TNA Leader R. Sampanthan during a one-to-one meeting with President Mahinda Rajapaksa Tuesday has said that TNA would propose names to the PSC only when the party and the government reach a substantive agreement on the political solution. Sampanthan has noted that it was essential for the government and the TNA to reach a consensus on the political solution before the PSC process.
The talks between the government and the TNA came to a standstill after the government withdrew from the talks in January calling on the TNA to submit names of representatives to the PSC. However, the government has not yet responded to the TNA's request to reach a consensus on finding a political solution before going to the PSC. Meanwhile, the major opposition United National party has said that the TNA's participation in the PSC is necessary for a meaningful solution and that the party would participate in the PSC only if the government and the TNA reached an agreement.