Sri Lanka to hold snap parliamentary elections

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, February 09, 2004

Sri Lanka to hold snap parliamentary elections

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The three month political standoff between Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga and her arch political rival Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe culminated midnight Saturday when the president dissolved the Parliament and called a snap parliamentary elections on April 2.

Early November last year, Kumaratunga wrested control of three key ministries including the defense from the Wickremesinghe administration and plunged the country's into an unprecedented political crisis.

Despite the incessant effort made by the two sides ever since then, they have failed to reach a compromise over the defense matters, which has sparked wide spread speculations that the president will dissolve the parliament and call fresh elections although she had said that she would not do so.

Wickremesinghe stood firm on his position for the full control of the defense ministry in order to carry forward the stalled peace process but the president was reluctant to give in, citing that the defense matter is her inalienable rights under the country's constitution.

The elections which will cost the country about 850 million rupees (about 8.67 million US dollars) is the third since October 2000 when President Kumaratunga's People's Alliance (PA) won a second term of six year.

However, the massive crossover of MPs of the president promptedher to dissolve the parliament and call a snap elections only one year later, in which Wickremesinghe's United National Party (UNP) defeated Kumaratunga's PA and took power.

Ever since then, Kumaratunga has been locked in an uneasy cohabitation with Wickremesinghe who embarked on Norwegian-brokered peace process with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels with the signing of a ceasefire agreement with the rebels only two months later.

Wickremesinghe's peace initiative with the LTTE rebels has won wide support of the international community but met with scathing criticism of the president.

Kumaratunga has been accusing the Wickremesinghe government of giving too much concession to the rebels which she said has threatened the national security.

The president's action in November last year further delayed the stalled peace talks with the rebels who submitted their power sharing proposals to the government only days before the president's move.

The LTTE rebels walked out of the peace talks with the government in April last year following six previous rounds which began in September 2002.

The formation of a political alliance between the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) led by the president and the leftist JVP or People's Liberation Front last month might have indicated that a fresh parliament election is in sight.

The new alliance has clearly stated that their objective is to topple the Wickremesinghe government.

In their swift response to the president's action, the UNP saidon Sunday that they are ready to face the challenge and confident of winning the upcoming elections.

Minister of Lands Rajitha Senaratne said that Prime Minister Wickremesinghe's two year period had seen stability in the countryand had revived its economy after a negative growth recorded during the ruling of Kumaratunga's main opposition PA in 2001.

"I think definitely the majority of the people in the country will give the mandate to our party," Senaratne told reporters.

He said that the UNP will continue the process of implementing the Peace and Development policy the party launched two years ago.

Meanwhile, Karu Jayasuriya, the UNP deputy leader and Minister of Power and Energy, told reporters that the UNP will invite international and local observers to monitor the polls and ensure a free and fair election.

Analysts noted that the forthcoming election is not likely to change the political spectrum of the country as it is difficult for either of the two main Sinhalese parties to have a sweeping majority in the 225-member parliament and the cohabitation government may exist as it is.

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