Anura Government following the path of failed administrations, says Sumanthiran

27-Jul-2026

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The Government led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is following the same path as previous failed administrations, and decisions taken on the strength of its overwhelming parliamentary majority could lead to serious consequences, Tamil National Alliance (ITAK) General Secretary and President's Counsel M.A. Sumanthiran has said.

He made these remarks while participating in the session titled "Stories and States: Fiction and Non-fiction in South Asian Politics" at the Colombo Literary Festival on July 25. The session was chaired by Savithri Rodrigo.

Responding to questions during the discussion, Mr. Sumanthiran said that certain historical narratives in Asia had fostered fear among different ethnic communities instead of promoting prosperity.

He noted that this year marks 100 years since S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike first advocated a federal system for Sri Lanka. In 1926, Bandaranaike published a series of six articles in the Morning Leader newspaper promoting federalism as a suitable model of governance for the country.

He further recalled that in July 1927, Bandaranaike visited Jaffna and delivered what became known as the "Jaffna Speech" in an effort to convince the people of the North of the merits of a federal system.

"As the General Secretary of the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi, a party long associated with federalism, I remain committed to establishing a system of cooperative democracy that reflects the country's multi-ethnic character," he said.

Mr. Sumanthiran pointed out that although Sri Lanka has adopted three Constitutions since Independence, none has incorporated a federal framework.

He said there had been considerable expectations last year after the National People's Power (NPP), led by Anura Kumara Dissanayake, pledged in its election manifesto to complete the constitutional reform process initiated between 2016 and 2019.

"That constitutional reform process reflected the participation and consensus of representatives of all communities. However, nearly a year after assuming office, I have seen no indication that the present Government intends to pursue a new Constitution. It appears to be following the same path as previous failed governments," he said.

He stressed that a new Constitution remains vital for Sri Lanka's future and warned that if the Government were to impose constitutional changes solely on the basis of its parliamentary majority, the consequences could be disastrous.