Sampanthan and I were dedicated to an undivided Sri Lanka – President

Committed to resolving issues affecting the Tamil people

Draft of National Land Commission Bill ready for Parliament submission

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President Ranil Wickremesinghe paid tribute to the late R. Sampanthan, acknowledging him as a leader who championed the rights not only of the Tamil people but also of all Sri Lankans.

He emphasised that both Sampanthan and himself were committed to the cause of an undivided Sri Lanka. The President urged everyone to unite in successfully concluding the discussions initiated with Sampanthan. President Wickremesinghe made these remarks while attending Sampanthan’s funeral at his residence in Trincomalee yesterday (7).

The funeral ceremony, honouring the former Leader of the Opposition and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), as well as the late Trincomalee District MP was attended by numerous political leaders, both from the Government and the opposition.

Expressing his sorrow over the death of R. Sampanthan, President Ranil Wickremesinghe mentioned that his passing is the loss of a long-time friend. The President affirmed his commitment to addressing the issues faced by the Tamil people, which Sampanthan consistently advocated for.

He announced that the draft of the National Land Commission Bill is ready to be submitted to Parliament. This commission will have the authority to resolve issues faced by the Sinhalese, Tamil, and Muslim communities in coordination with the Department of Forest.

The President appreciated Sampanthan’s role as Leader of the Opposition, highlighting that an Opposition leader is essentially an alternative Prime Minister. He praised Sampanthan for displaying the qualities of a true Opposition leader by addressing the concerns of all Sri Lankans, not just the Tamil community.

Additionally, the President commented on the upcoming elections, stating that regardless of any Court challenges, the Presidential Election will be held this year. He also indicated that arrangements will be made to hold parliamentary and Provincial Council Elections following the Presidential Election.

Addressing the funeral gathering the President further mentioned:

“I have lost a long-time friend with the demise of R.Sampanthan. I met him 50 years ago when he was a lawyer and I was a new lawyer. In 1977, Sampanthan and I came to Parliament as new MPs. In that parliamentary election, I supported Navaratnam Raja, the working committee member of our party from Trincomalee. But Sampanthan won the seat.

The Parliament was divided into two parties, especially according to the proposal that a separate state should be formed. Sampanthan had a special relationship with the members of the Government. He always said that this country cannot be divided and we should advocate for a federal system or for granting more powers than the District Council system that we created.

There was a problem between us. When I was taken over a piece of land in Trincomalee to the Youth Service Council, there were debates between us in Parliament. His efforts to control this and our efforts were not successful. He left Sri Lanka in 1983. After he returned to Parliament, we reconnected. After the end of terrorism in 2009, I had the opportunity to work with him again on the problems of the Tamil people.

He never demanded a separate state. He always said that everyone should be together. He emphasised that the Tamil people are suffering and their problems should be solved immediately.

We have worked together in elections and supported common candidates. We all worked together especially for President Maithripala Sirisena’s victory. Before that, he worked for Sarath Fonseka’s election. I always talked to him about past events and politics.

He was the only living person as a MP who saw the opportunity of the country gaining independence in 1948. We often discussed politics and our shared experiences.

After that, he worked as the leader of the opposition. He showed his character well in his tenure. He not only talked about the problems of the Tamil people and worked on them, but he also presented the problems of all Sri Lankans as the leader of the opposition. At that time, he acted as a true opposition leader, who becomes an alternative Prime Minister.

He demonstrated great leadership as the leader of the opposition when I lost the Prime Ministership during the political crisis in 2018. For various reasons, our negotiations did not succeed, especially after the Easter Sunday bombings, when we lacked the background to present political solutions.

After I assumed the Presidency, I discussed these issues with him and with Tamil parties and MPs. Some very important ideas were gathered during these discussions.

Both of us agreed to find solutions to these issues in an undivided Sri Lanka. While these negotiations were on-going, I had to prioritise leading the country out of bankruptcy. As a result, our negotiations had to be postponed for the last few months.

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