Secret pacts won’t solve Tamil problems – Douglas

by Ranil Wijayapala

The problems of the Tamils cannot be solved through secret pacts signed with other political parties like the TNA had done and the attempts to address the Tamil issues should always be open to the Sinhala community in the South if such attempts are to be successful, EPDP leader and former Minister Douglas Devananda said. He said that none of the attempts to solve the ethnic problem through secret pacts and deals by political parties had ever been successful as they had no people’s backing.

The EPDP leader said though the TNA had promised to solve the Tamil problems in the North based on the secret deals they had reached with the southern political parties they will never become a reality as such secret pacts had always been opposed by the Sinhala community.

He said the Northern people who voted President Maitripala Sirisena to power at the January election on the TNA request are now disappointed with the TNA leaders as they had not shown any interest to resolve, their issues Devananda said.

He said the TNA had never shown any interest to resolve the issues of the Tamils through the governments in power though they are elected to Parliament by the votes of the Tamils. “The EPDP had always been flexible to address the Tamil issues through the governments in power without being adamant. We followed the give and take policy to address our issues’ Devananda said.

He said the TNA led Northern Provincial Council is also not catering to the needs of the Northern people as they always try to find a reason for not carrying out its functions.

“Earlier, The TNA said that they could not function due to the Governor and the Chief Secretary. Even after the new appointments were made they are not serving the people in the North”, the EPDP leader said. He said the EPDP is contesting the election as a single party this time as it has a different approach to address the Tamil issues in the North.