Sri Lanka’s main Tamil party, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) says the party will attend the all-party conference called by the President Maithripala Sirisena.
President Maithripala Sirisena will chair a meeting of representatives of all the political parties represented in Parliament at 5.00 p.m. Sunday (Nov 18) at the President’s office, the President’s Media Division said.
The leaders of all the political parties represented in Parliament and Speaker Karu Jayasuriya have been invited to attend this meeting.
TNA R Sampanthan said the invite extended by the Presidential Secretariat has been accepted and he and other representatives of the TNA will attend today’s meeting.
Party leaders of United National Party (UNP) will also attend the meeting, UNP Parliamentarian Nalin Bandara has told the media.
Deputy Leader of the UNP MP Sajith Premadasa, MPs Lakshman Kiriella, Thalatha Athukorala, Gayantha Karunathilaka and Ravi Karunanayake and a group of seniors will represent the United National Party at the meeting, NewsRadio reported.
According to the Speaker’s Office, the Speaker Karu Jayasuriya has declined President’s invitation to attend the all-party conference this evening since it’s a discussion with political party representatives.
The Marxist party Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) MP Bimal Ratnayake has reportedly said that the party will not take part in the all-party conference. JVP Parliamentarian has said the party decided to abstain from attending the meeting based on a decision taken by the party Politburo.
The President has called the meeting in order to end the current political unrest and conflict situation and to allow normal functioning of the Parliament, the President’s Media Division said.
Courtesy: Colombo Page
