PA welcomes hardline Sinhala party into coalition

By Nirupama Subramanian

COLOMBO, AUG. 25. In a move to consolidate its Sinhala-Buddhist vote base, the ruling People's Alliance (PA) coalition today entered into an alliance with the Mahajana Eksath Perumena (MEP), a hardline Sinhala nationalist party that opposes the new Constitution proposed by the President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunga.

Welcoming the alliance, the PA general secretary, Mr. D.M. Jayaratne, said the PA would not compromise the interests of the majority Sinhala-Buddhist community.

The MEP leader, Mr. Dinesh Gunawardena, was among the protesters outside Parliament when the new Constitution was being debated earlier this month.

``The Sri Lankan people are totally against this Constitution because they have come to know that it is going to divide the country.

This Constitution is not for the benefit of the country, it is only for the benefit of one person, and that is Chandrika Kumaratunga,'' Mr. Gunawardena had then told The Hindu.

If elected back to office Ms. Kumaratunga has said her Government will take steps to put the new Constitution in place within two months.

Meanwhile, Ms. Kumaratunga has still not accepted the resignations of the three Ministers of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), including its leader, Mr. M.H.M. Ashraff.

The Ministers resigned on Tuesday and the SLMC has decided to go it alone in the coming elections.

However, in an interview to a private Sri Lankan TV Mr. Ashraff said the decision was not final, and could change if Ms. Kumaratunga so wished.

As the election process picked up heat, all sides clamoured for an election free of violence and malpractice, but three poll- related murders have already been reported.

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Section  : International
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