The Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) and the Democratic Tamil National Alliance (DTNA) have reached a broad agreement to jointly exert pressure on the Sri Lankan government to hold Provincial Council elections in 2026 and to work towards formulating a common Tamil political position on the ethnic issue.
The understanding was reached at a meeting held on Sunday 7 December at the ITAK party office in Jaffna. The discussion followed an invitation sent by ITAK to the DTNA and the Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) on 7 November 2025, calling for talks on shared political concerns and possible collective approaches to issues affecting the Tamil people of the North-East.
In a response dated 20 November, DTNA Secretary Ratnalingam expressed readiness to participate in the meeting, proposing either 7 or 14 December. ITAK subsequently confirmed the meeting for 7 December.
The two-hour discussion, which took place from 10.00 am to 12.00 pm, was attended by ITAK Acting Leader C. V. K. Sivagnanam and General Secretary M. A. Sumanthiran. The DTNA delegation included Suresh Premachandran, Dharmalingam Siddharthan, Selvam Adaikkalanathan, Vendan and Chandrakumar.
According to DTNA spokesperson Suresh Premachandran, the two parties engaged in in-depth discussions on the rights of the Tamil people, the broader national question and political challenges facing the Tamil nation.
Premachandran said that both parties reached a general agreement to work together on several key issues concerning the Tamil people. A priority outcome of the meeting was consensus that Provincial Council elections must be held in 2026 to enable people to elect their representatives. Both ITAK and DTNA agreed to jointly put pressure on the government to ensure that this process moves forward without further delay.
The two parties also agreed to work towards identifying a solution acceptable to the Tamil people on the national ethnic issue and to engage in future negotiations with the aim of presenting a unified Tamil political position.
The meeting additionally addressed other shared concerns, including the ongoing Buddhicisation and militarisation of the Tamil homeland in the North-East.