The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) today offered support to the Government to address key national issues. The offer was made in a memorandum submitted by the TNA to Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa at a meeting convened with former MPs. In the memorandum, the TNA noted the need to address outstanding issues, including issues faced by the Tamils, enactment of a new constitution, apart from focusing on the crisis resulting from the coronavirus. "We are prepared to extend our co-operation to the resolution of these issues in a reasonable and acceptable manner in the interests of the Country and all its People." However, the TNA emphasize that the meeting summoned by the Prime Minister was not and cannot be a substitute for convening the Parliament. "We are of the firm view that the Parliament must be convened as stated in our joint statement to deal with several constitutional and legal issues that have arisen, which Parliament alone can deal with." The memorandum handed over to the Prime Minister included the below issues.

1. The Pandemic - the Corona Virus - has been gradually escalating – much more needs to be done to eradicate it completely from our Country, there is a legitimate fear amongst the people that it could further escalate with grave consequences, the Country’s united efforts are needed in this regard.
2. At all National Elections over the past twenty-five (25) years since 1994, over Five terms of both Parliament and Presidency, the people have in the exercise of their sovereignty – their franchise, rejected the 1978 constitution, and given a MANDATE for the enactment of a new constitution, encompassing all three components of their Sovereignty – Powers of Governance – including Legislative Executive and Judicial Power – FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS and their FRANCHISE. This Mandate of the People in the exercise of their Sovereignty has not been fulfilled and the country continues to be governed under a constitution rejected by the People for over twenty-five years.
3. The Parliament elected in 2015 unanimously resolved to convert itself into a Committee of the whole Parliament – termed a Constitutional Assembly with a Steering Committee and sub committees in charge of different Subjects and an Experts Committee to formulate a new Constitution dealing primarily with three issues.
   1. The Executive Presidency
   2. Electoral Reforms to Parliament.

• The National Question the Tamil Question – Sharing of Powers of Governance.

All political parties were represented in the several committees established, there was substantial consensus, Reports of the committees were filed in the Constitutional Assembly, the process reached its final stages, when it stalled until the dissolution of Parliament. The National Question the sharing of the Powers of Governance, has since the enactment of the 13^th Amendment to the Constitution, been addressed by all political parties and political Leaders and successive Governments since 1991 – and much progress has been made – Public commitments have been made to the Country and to the International community – in regard to how this issue would be addressed and concluded in an acceptable way. The support of the International Community was obtained on the basis of such commitments. These commitments have to be kept in the interests of national peace, regional peace and world peace. It would otherwise appear that the International Community was also deceived to betray the Tamil people who were the victims.