TNA meets SL President on Joint Mechanism proposal

[TamilNet, Sunday, 12 June 2005, 13:03 GMT]
A delegation of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians met with Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunge and discussed the state of the Joint Mechanism for post-tsunami rehabilitation and the rising tension among the communities in Trincomalee triggered by the Buddha statue, a press release from from TNA issued in Colombo Sunday said. The meeting was held between 11am to 3.00pm Sunday, at president house.

Full text of the press release follows:

A delegation of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) met with President Chandrika Bandaranayake kumarathunga and held detailed discussions in respect of the North East Tsunami Relief Council (TRC) and the Joint Mechanism proposal.

The TNA impressed upon the President that the Tsunami Relief council should be established early.

The President explained to the TNA the various issues that have arisen in relation to the establishment of the Tsunami relief Council and reiterated her commitment to the early establishment of the TRC.

Discussions were also held with regard to matters of mutual concerns.

Leader of the TNA parliamentary Group Mr.R.Sampanthan raised the question of the Trincomalee situation and urged that the Govt. should persue action. As per assurances given by the govt.delegation at the meetings held in Trincomalee. The President assured the TNA that a govt. delegation would visit Trincomalee shortly in order to persue appropriate action. The need to review the deployment of the additional armed forces in Trincomalee town was also discussed and the President gave the TNA an assurance that appropriate action was being taken in regard to this matter.

Associated with the President at this discussion were the Deputy Minister Dilan Perera and Member of Parliament Mr. Wijedasa Rajapaksha.

The delegation of the TNA Comprised of Mr.R.Sampanthan Parliamentary Group Leader of TNA, Mr. Joseph Pararajasingam, MP, Mr.Mavai Senathirajah MP, Mr. Suresh Premachandran MP, Mr.Gajendrakumar Ponnampalam MP, and Mr.K.Sivajilingam MP