Sri Lanka’s Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa said his party was “crystal clear” on fully implementing the 13th Amendment, as he spoke to media outlets calling for deeper strategic, economic, and political ties with India, during a high-profile visit to New Delhi this week.
Speaking to Indian media, Premadasa stated that his party’s position on the 13th Amendment was “crystal clear”.
“Our position has been as always as mentioned in our manifestos that we will implement the 13th Amendment,” he said. “It has provided political, economic, social empowerment through provincial governments and we must ensure that the present law of the land… part of the supreme law of the land, part of the constitution is implemented.”
“So there are no need to speculate about our position. We are crystal clear about the fact that we have to implement the 13th Amendment and we have said so and we have done so through our pronouncements, our declarations, our proclamations, interviews and most important of all through our social contract with the people. That’s the political manifesto and we will continue to stand our ground.”
He added that expectations around devolution “come not just from the North and East” but from all nine provinces, and insisted that the commitment was embedded in the party’s “social contract” with the public.
Premadasa used his India visit to repeatedly emphasise the need for Colombo to deepen ties with New Delhi. During an interview, he described the relationship as “very important” and “very special”, stating:
“The historical cultural links bind us together. It is our fervent belief that the future prosperity and progress of both our countries are inextricably linked… As such, we would always encourage and support better linkages and relationships spanning all sectors and ensure that this relationship results in both our countries achieving their national objectives.”
“That special relationship has to be enhanced, has to be promoted and built upon,” he added.
He pledged that his party would “encourage and support better linkages across all sectors” and said Sri Lanka should seek to “fast track its growth programme” through cooperation with India.
Premadasa also backed India’s long-standing campaign for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, calling it “a recognition of the practical realities of international politics”.
Premadasa used the visit to highlight Sri Lanka’s looming debt repayment crisis, noting that by 2028 the island will be required to resume annual external debt payments of “4 to 4.5 billion US dollars.” He argued that regional integration, Indian investment, and energy cooperation would be essential for Sri Lanka’s economic survival.
“The objective of this visit is to strengthen the bilateral relationship… so that Sri Lanka is able to fast track its growth programme,” he said.
During meetings with External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Premadasa discussed renewable energy, power-grid connectivity, maritime links, and proposals for an India-Sri Lanka industrial and technological trade zone.
He also met the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), proposing a task force to boost investment and stating that Sri Lanka could complement India’s semiconductor sector.
Premadasa’s remarks appear calibrated to signal reliability and predictability to India, positioning himself as the leader most aligned with New Delhi’s strategic concerns.
But Tamil observers caution that Sinhala political parties have historically endorsed the 13th Amendment abroad while undermining it at home. Despite India’s decades-long pressure, Colombo has never implemented full police or land powers, and devolution remains structurally undermined by military occupation across the Tamil homeland.
