Veteran Tamil Politician R. Sampanthan Passes Away at 91

Former Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader and former Opposition Leader, MP R. Sampanthan, has passed away at the age of 91. He reportedly died while receiving treatment at a private hospital in Colombo.

A prominent figure in the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK), Sampanthan’s political career spanned six decades. He first entered the Sri Lankan parliament in 1977 and was the incumbent MP for Trincomalee District, serving in five parliaments since 1977.

Sampanthan, a lawyer by profession, led the Tamil National Alliance since 2001. He was a Member of Parliament continuously from 2001 until his death in 2024 and previously served as an MP from 1977 to 1983 and from 1997 to 2000. He held the position of Leader of the Opposition from September 2015 to December 2018.