Abstract:
After 26 years of devastating civil war between the Government of Sri Lanka and
the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Sri Lanka’s government defeated
the LTTE in May 2009. It was in this context the LTTE’s defeat is viewed as a
decisive turning point in the history of the island’s ethnic conflict. As a result of
the absence of LTTE caused to give up the demand of separate state which was the
threat of last three decades for political solution. This situation has provided
opportunity to consider political solution for national ethnic question of Sri Lanka
by political elites of all community through the way of state reconstitution. This
post-war backdrop provides a new prospect to re-explore in the deadlock and
challenges of state reconstitution in Sri Lanka by following question: has the
ending of the war between the Sri Lankan State and the LTTE provided new
motivation for state reconstitution in Sri Lanka, in the direction of addressing the
demand of the ethnic minorities for power-sharing? This study is based on a
critical and interpretative case study of post-war state of Sri Lanka. It is formed on
text analysis, qualitative interviews and supplement with observation. Data have
gathered in August to October 2014. The study reveals that no considerable
progress was geared up in the direction of a political solution with minorities who
were affected by the conflict, and peace talk has been deadlocked between the
Government and the TNA (Tamil National Alliance) caused by misperceptions and
centralization of state power.
