The first skeletal draft calling for a 'federal government' by the Tamil People Council (TPC) will be ready by end January, and the final draft will be shown to Australia based former 34th Attorney General of Sri Lanka Sivakumaran Pasupathy who is in Jaffna, sources told Ceylon Today. The Council which met yesterday has invited experts on Sri Lankan Constitution have been meeting often to hold discussions on the matter, he added.

According to the reliable source, the second draft will be ready by March end. The TPC, headed by Chief Minister of Northern Province C. V. Wigneswaran, which aims to support the government in finding a permanent political solution to the Tamil issue will be calling for a political solution in the form of a federal system, a call several decades old.

The sources revealed that Northern Chief Minister C. V. Wigneswaran had expressed his interest that the 34th AG of Sri Lanka should be part of the expert committee that is drafting a proposal to the intended new Constitution of the government. The sources said "Pasupathy is not involved in the drafting the proposal so far but they hope he will be given the final draft to get his opinion.

"So far he is not involved in the Council work. We will also want the Tamil National Alliance to work along with us." If they invite us for talks we will be ready to do so, a senior member of the Council who did not want to be disclosed reiterated to Ceylon Today. We also will want Minister of National Dialogue and Leader of Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) Mano Ganesan to get involved in the Council's attempt to find a political solution. The TNA should welcome such a back up system the TPC is doing because we are looking for a solution not only to the North and East Tamils but to the Tamils in the hill country and scattered all over the island he said.

He also added that a decision for the Muslims will also be taken in to consideration. He said that the objective is that end of the day all should live in a peaceful atmosphere conducive to all. Pasupathy engaged in the talks between the Tamil Tigers and the government during the Norwegian facilitation.

While refuting claims by former President Ranil Wickremesinghe that his government had allocated funds required to increase public sector salaries, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said that no such funds had been allocated.

A Fundamental Rights petition has been filed before the Supreme Court seeking an order preventing Ranjan Ramanayake from contesting the parliamentary election scheduled for November 14.

Claiming that Sri Lanka has come a long way in terms of undertaking reforms which have led to some hard won gains, the International Monetary Fund (IMF)said they could move fast towards the third review which will come up soon.

The Election Commission has decided to mark the voters' index fingers for this year's general elections, Commissioner General Saman Ratnayake announced. He said the elections are scheduled for November 14, 2024.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is set to hold a series of meetings with the High Commissioners of South Africa and New Zealand, along with the Ambassadors of Iran and Myanmar, as well as a delegation from the European Union today (25) at the Presidential Secretariat.

Three suspects have been arrested in connection with the security threats to Israeli nationals in the Arugam Bay area, Public Security Minister Vijitha Herath said.

Sri Lanka should get its foreign policy right in the wake of the escalating Middle East crisis, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Mujibur Rahman said today.

The Canadian government has issued a travel advisory urging travellers to exercise a high degree of caution in Sri Lanka due to demonstrations, the threat of terrorist attacks and crime, particularly in the Arugam Bay area.

Sri Lankan security forces have been alerted to a potential attack on Israelis in the Arugam Bay area by Indian intelligence agencies. According to intelligence information, the threat is believed to be targeted at foreign nationals.

Former Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekara asked why the government did not take action to beef up security for foreign tourists in advance if it had received information on a possible threat on October 7, according to the statement made by Acting Chief of Police.