The third round of discussions among Tamil nationalist political parties, organized by the Tamil Lawyers’ Forum, was held in Colombo on May 6, where several agreements on a proposed constitutional framework were reached.
The parties proposed that Sri Lanka should function as a federal state with autonomous state governments, while maintaining the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. They also stated that the Tamil people are a nation with the right to self-determination, and that the Northern and Eastern Provinces together form the traditional homeland of the Tamil-speaking people.
It was agreed that, except for national defense, foreign affairs, and currency, all other powers should be devolved to state governments, with clearly defined and non-revocable authority. The proposal also called for a separate Constitutional Court to resolve disputes between the central government and state governments.
Other key proposals included establishing Sri Lanka as a secular state, granting equal official status to Tamil and Sinhala languages in all spheres, and using English as a link language.
They further reaffirmed earlier resolutions, including the need for a federal arrangement reflecting Tamil aspirations, the preparation of a social contract between Tamil and Sinhala communities, continued joint work on constitutional proposals, and avoiding separate engagement with government-led constitutional reform discussions.
