Sri Lanka's Prime Minister-elect Offers to Form National Govt

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, December 09, 2001

Sri Lanka's Prime Minister-elect Offers to Form National Govt

Sri Lanka's Prime Minister- elect and United National Party (UNP) leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has invited President Chandrika Kumaratunga's People's Alliance ( PA) to join a broadly-based national government which will include other political parties while they met on Saturday, the official Sunday Observer said.

The UNP leader is reported to be keen to invite as many political parties as possible to be represented in the new cabinet which is expected to be formed in the next few days.

The PA, now in opposition, has not officially reacted to Wickremesinghe's offer.

Wickremesinghe is scheduled to be sworn in as the country's new prime minister later on Sunday.

His conciliatory stance over the transfer of power has dispelled fear that a standoff between him and the president might emerge.

The UNP defeated PA in Wednesday's parliamentary election which is seen as the most violent in the country claiming nearly 50 lives.