Sri Lankan Leftist Party Offers to Form Interim GovtSri Lanka's leftist JVP or People 's Liberation Front on Friday offered to form an interim government which was agreed by President Chandrika Kumaratunga.The JVP said in a statement that Kumaratunga had agreed on the forming of an interim government following two hours of discussions between Prime Minister Rathnasiri Wickeremenayake and JVP leaders. It also said that the president asked for more time to consult other coalition partners in her government on the JVP proposals for an independent commission on media, holding elections under a caretaker government and reducing the cabinet from 45 to 20 members. However, the JVP insisted that the president cancel the rescheduled referendum and reconvene parliament. Kumaratunga suspended the parliament and called for an August 21 referendum on a new constitution on July 10 ahead of the vote for a no-confidence motion submitted to parliament by UNP against her government which it is almost certain to lose. The government has lost its majority with 109 seats in the 225- member Parliament when the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress withdrew the government following dismissal of its leader Rauff Hakeem by Kumaratunga on June 20. Kumaratunga decided to postpone the August 21 referendum to October 18 as she believes that continuing with the scheduled referendum might exacerbate confrontation at various levels which are under heated debate over the issue. Meanwhile, the opposition leaders signed a letter on Friday, asking all MPs to assemble at the parliamentary building next Friday to hold a special meeting on the possibility of reconvening parliament. |
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