TNA urges police and land powers for north

Sri Lanka's main Tamil party, TNA has renewed its demand for police and land control powers for the northern province where provincial council elections will be held on September 21.
According to the manifesto released by Tamil National Alliance in Jaffna today, the party said, "devolution of power on the basis of shared sovereignty shall necessarily be over land, law and order, socio-economic development including health and education, resources and fiscal powers".
The Rajapaksa government is widely believed to be wanting to tinker with the provincial powers - more pointedly to strip the north of land and police control statutes.

The move however came to be stalled due to concerns raised by India in the spirit of the 1987 Indo-Lanka Peace Accord.
The TNA manifesto also emphasises their wish to see a Tamil self government for the north in a combined north and east provinces set up, based on a Federal structure.
It also urges de-militarisation of the north to restore pre-war situation resettlement of the war displaced with housing provided.

Significantly, the TNA backs the call for an independent international investigation into war crimes allegations made against both the government and the LTTE.
The main Tamil party reiterates the need to address the issue of land grabs by the state in the north and east.

"TNA believes that there can be no reconciliation without the reform of the existing policies over land ownership", the manifesto said.