Six political parties representing Tamil-speaking communities from the Northern, Eastern and Malaiyaha regions have agreed to work together on issues of common concern affecting their communities, marking a significant step towards greater political cooperation.
The announcement was made at a joint media briefing held in Colombo, where leaders and representatives of the six parties pledged to collaborate on matters impacting Tamil-speaking people across Sri Lanka.
The parties involved in the initiative are the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK), the Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA), the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), the All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC), the Democratic Tamil National Alliance (DTNA), and the Ceylon Workers' Congress (CWC).
The gathering brought together several senior political leaders, including Tamil Progressive Alliance leader Mano Ganesan, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress leader Rauff Hakeem, and All Ceylon Makkal Congress leader Rishad Bathiudeen, whose parties are key constituents of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) led by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa.
Ceylon Workers' Congress General Secretary and Parliamentarian Jeevan Thondaman also participated in the media briefing. Thondaman was elected to Parliament under the United National Party (UNP)-led alliance at the last parliamentary election.
The leaders said the joint initiative aims to strengthen cooperation among Tamil-speaking political parties and provide a united platform to address issues affecting their respective communities. Further details on the group's future course of action are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
