The Sri Lankan election monitor, Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) criticised the Tamil National Alliance leadership's support for the government as it seeks to pass the 20th Amendment to the constitution, calling the leader, R Sampanthan a traitor. 

CaFFE's executive director, Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon was quoted by Ceylon Today as saying "Sampanthan will become a traitor not only to the people of the North but also to those from the south who died fighting for the devolution of power".

"In 1982 when President J. R. Jayewardene wanted to hold a referendum giving the people the option to extend the life of parliament by six years, Appapillai Amirthalingam, the then leader of the main opposition Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) opposed the bill although he could have remained as opposition leader for another six years if the referendum was passed. But I feel that Sampanthan does not possess such principals," Mr Tennakoon reportedly added. 

The draft Amendment seeks to hold all the Provincial Council elections on the same day and removes the power of Provincial Councils to call for early elections, granting parliament the power to determine the date on which all the Provincial Councils will be dissolved. 

The Amendment also makes clear that "in the event of any inconsistency between the Sinhala and Tamil texts of this Act, the Sinhala text shall prevail."