Sri Lanka President offers power-sharing to end deadlock

10/06/2001| IslamWeb

COLOMBO, (Islamweb & News Agencies) -Sri Lanka President Chandrika Kumaratunga Thursday offered to share power with the main opposition in a bid to end the country's unprecedented political crisis.
Commenting on the development, political observers said the latest offer from the president suggests she is running out of options to solve the current political crisis, which threatens the country with a period of instability it can ill afford. (Read photo caption below)
President Kumaratunga said she was ready form a "consensual government" with the opposition United National Party (UNP) and end a stand off with parliament where her nine-month-old government has lost its majority.
"This is a difficult time politically and for the economy," Kumaratunga said. "The need of the hour is to work for the national interest."
Kumaratunga shut down parliament until September 7 after her People's Alliance party lost its majority on June 20.
The opposition has been demanding the restoration of the legislature to test her government's majority.
There have been weeks of speculation about the formation of a government of national unity, with mounting pressure from business leaders.
The head of the opposition committee recently set up to handle negotiations with the government, Karu Jayasuriya says he has received no offer from the president to share power, though he said individual politicians had received various overtures.
Mr Jayasuriya said his party had several preconditions to be fulfilled for lending its support, namely that parliament be reconvened, democratic reforms instituted and the powers of the executive presidency curbed.
He also said opposition parties wanted any government of national unity to be comprised of a small cabinet of professionals, and to be headed by the political leader commanding the highest confidence in parliament.
PHOTO CAPTION:
Nestling off the southern tip of India, the tropical island of Sri Lanka has beguiled travellers for centuries with its palm-fringed beaches, diverse landscapes and historical monuments. But for nearly two decades, the island has been scarred by a bitter civil war arising out of ethnic tensions.