By Veeragathy Thanabalasingham
Former Chief Minister of the merged North-Eastern Province, Annamalai Varatharaja Perumal, has launched an initiative to build consensus among Tamil political parties, intellectuals, and civil society groups on the need to protect and revitalize the provincial governance system in Sri Lanka’s North and East.
Perumal, who is not re-entering electoral politics, believes that strengthening provincial councils through the full implementation of the 13th Amendment remains the only practical step toward power-sharing in the current political climate. He has begun consultations, starting with the Eelam People’s Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF), headed by his former colleague Suresh K. Premachandran.
Delayed Elections
Despite repeated assurances from government leaders that the provincial council system will remain in place until a new constitution is enacted, there is little indication that elections—last held in 2014—will be conducted any time soon. This has drawn criticism from civil society groups such as the National Movement for Social Justice (NMSJ) and the National Peace Council (NPC).
The NMSJ, led by former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, recently demanded that the government conduct elections promptly, stating that the continued operation of the councils under presidentially appointed governors violates democratic principles and the people’s right to elect their representatives.
“The provincial councils have become mere bureaucratic outposts under presidential control. This is unconstitutional and unacceptable,” said NMSJ General Secretary Sunil Jayasekara. He urged the government to act on its own policy statement, which promised elections within four months of assuming office.
Dr. Jahan Perera of the NPC has echoed similar sentiments, calling for the appointment of a cabinet subcommittee to review and curb the sweeping powers of the governors that currently undermine the councils’ effectiveness.
Southern Apathy, Tamil Silence
While civil society groups continue to press the issue, there appears to be little urgency among the southern political establishment or even the Tamil parties in the North and East. Southern political leaders and the public at large have not raised objections to the absence of elected provincial councils for nearly eight years.
Among Tamil parties, vocal support for the provincial council system tends to surface only in meetings with Indian diplomats or leaders. In local political discourse, however, the councils and the 13th Amendment are rarely discussed. Some Tamil parties remain reluctant to endorse the system due to its historical rejection by the LTTE and the perception that it represents a compromise.
This silence has contributed to a lack of public understanding about the powers and potential of provincial councils. Meanwhile, local government bodies recently formed in Tamil-majority areas have passed politically charged but impractical resolutions, continuing a trend that saw the first Northern Provincial Council under C.V. Wigneswaran focus on symbolic actions rather than governance.
Tamil Parties on the Defensive
The Tamil electorate’s growing frustration was evident in their overwhelming support for the National People’s Power (NPP) in the last parliamentary elections, a clear rejection of traditional Tamil parties. But the NPP has since failed to demonstrate a new or effective approach to resolving Tamil grievances, allowing the older parties to regain ground in the recent local government elections.
Despite their earlier rhetoric of Tamil unity and people-first politics, Tamil parties quickly returned to opportunistic behavior after the local polls, forming alliances and passing polarizing resolutions that serve little practical purpose.
Perumal’s Call
In this context, Perumal’s efforts to create awareness and building unity around the provincial council system carry significance.Following his meeting with Perumal ,the EPRLF leader issued a clarifying statement ;
“The current government is focused on stability and avoiding controversy, not on power-sharing. If Tamil parties don’t push strongly, provincial council elections will remain a mirage. It’s critical that the 13th Amendment is fully implemented and elections are held. Only then can Tamils in the North and East have even minimal control over their affairs and push back against illegal state encroachments.”
Premachandran acknowledged that the provincial council powers granted under the 13th Amendment are the only tools currently available to Tamils to engage meaningfully in governance. “Until a final political solution is reached, we must use what we have,” he said.
His statement comes after questions were raised about his alliance’s stance on the amendment, particularly following a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Democratic Tamil National Alliance (DTNA) and the Tamil National Council led by Gajendra Kumar Ponnambalam. The MoU stated that the 13th Amendment is neither a final nor comprehensive solution, casting doubts on their support for the existing devolution framework.
Need for Tamil Engagement
Other Tamil parties have yet to respond to Perumal’s outreach, possibly because he has not formally contacted their leadership. Nevertheless, his initiative underscores a critical point: for the people of the South, the provincial councils are optional institutions. Central governments continue to meet the development needs of southern provinces even in the absence of elected councils.
But in the North and East, provincial councils serve a crucial function. They represent the only viable institutional mechanism through which Tamils can manage local affairs, resist state-led encroachments, and seek redress within the framework of Sri Lankan law.
Over the past 16 years, Tamil political parties have failed to articulate a realistic or actionable path forward, often resorting to emotional appeals linked to past sacrifices. This has left the electorate disillusioned and alienated. In this vacuum, Perumal’s initiative aims to bridge the gap between sentiment and practical governance.
Public awareness of the provincial council system remains weak in the North and East, partly due to decades of dismissive rhetoric from Tamil politicians. Therefore, any effort to revive the councils must begin with a grassroots campaign to educate the Tamil population on the rights and responsibilities attached to provincial governance.
Though not a fan of the 13th Amendment himself, the writer stresses the urgency of ensuring that Tamils are not left entirely without institutional representation. Given the government’s inertia and the silence of mainstream Tamil parties, it is essential for civil society and political actors to come together in support of Perumal’s pragmatic approach.
Only through meaningful dialogue and a unified front can the North and East push for elections and reassert their constitutional right to govern themselves, at least within the framework currently available. (The author is a senior Colombo-based journalist) (Courtesy: South Asian Affairs)
Post a Comment