No re-merger of Northern and Eastern provinces says Sri Lanka PM

Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has told the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leaders that there will be no drastic changes in the new constitution and the Northern and Eastern provinces will not be re-merged, reports Sudaytimes.lk.

Speaking to the Sunday Times, the prime minister said,

“We have said that the government is willing to accommodate request for possible ‘working arrangements’ for co-ordination between the two Provincial Councils.”

Mr Wickremesinghe added that most of the provisions of the 13th Amendment to the constitution and provincial council structure will remain, stating “what is there will be there.”

The Tamil national alliance were elected on a manifesto which had key centred demands on a remerger of the Northern and Eastern Provinces, full devolution of powers and the acknowledgement of the right to self-determination of the Tamil people.