President Ranil Wickremesinghe emphasized that the late leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), MP R. Sampanthan, consistently advocated for Sri Lanka’s territorial integrity and held his distinct perspective on power-sharing.

President Wickremesinghe noted that as show of appreciation for Mr. Sampanthan’s significant contributions in this regard; completing the tasks he started would be the best tribute to his legacy.

The President made these remarks in his special condolence message in Parliament today (02), on Mr. Sampanthan’s passing.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe further stated;

Today, one of my colleagues who accompanied me to Parliament, MP Sampanthan, has passed away.

I had the privilege of working closely with him during challenging times, and I deeply appreciate the contributions he made. Despite representing the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), he consistently upheld Sri Lanka’s territorial integrity.

I recall a conversation we once had where he said to me, “Ranil, do you think I would ever advocate for dividing our country? I witnessed our independence in 1948 as a child.”

None of us witnessed that opportunity; most of us weren’t even born at the time. However, he held his own views on how power should be devolved. There is no need to dispute them, as he dedicated considerable effort to his beliefs. While there remains some unfinished business in this regard, completing those tasks would be the greatest tribute we can offer him.