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Talks for National Government in Sri Lanka Collapses
Talks between the Sri Lankan government and the main opposition United National Party (UNP) to form a national government and reach concensus on matters of national importance collapsed at its final round which continued past midnight Tuesday, the official Daily News said.
The talks commenced on Saturday. During the three rounds of talks agreement could not be reached on matters such as the extent of powers for the new prime minister who would be UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, the role of President Chandrika Kumaratunga and the creation of a post of vice president to accommodate current Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremenayake.
The UNP wanted the new prime minister to have the power to select the cabinet of ministers from all parties represented in Parliament and for the president to be kept out of it.
The UNP further demanded the immediate resummoning of Parliament which was prorogued to avoid a joint oppopsiton vote of no-confidence in the government, the abolition of the referendum for a new constitution and the establsihment of five independent commissions for elections, the police, public service, judiciary and media.
The government wanted a negotiated settlement to the ethnic war and the adoption of its proposed new constitution.
The political crisis developed in Sri Lanka with the government losing its majority in Parliament retaining only 109 seats as against the joint opposition's 115 seats following the withdrawal of the main Muslim Congress party in June.
In a desperate bid to keep power the government is now in negotiation with the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna which has 10 seats in Parliament and has offered to conditionally support the governemnt for a probationary period of one year.
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