PA Govt. in talks to tide over crisis

By Nirupama Subramanian

COLOMBO, AUG. 10. The minority People's Alliance Government, not yet out of the woods despite the apparent conciliatory gesture by the President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunga, of postponing the controversial August 21 referendum, is in hectic parleys to tide over a no-confidence motion awaiting it when the prorogued Parliament reconvenes next month.

Ms. Kumaratunga is scheduled to meet representatives of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) today. The JVP said in a press release that it had been invited by the President to discuss its proposal of support to a ``probationary Government'' of the PA for one year.

The party said last week that if the President put off the referendum, it would consider support to the Government on condition that it implement certain reforms in governance within a period of one year.

The PA is also said to be considering a power-sharing arrangement with the United National Party (UNP), variously described as a ``national Government'', ``Government of national reconciliation'' and a ``consensual Government''.

However, there does not seem to be even the first glimmer of consensus between Sri Lanka's two main political groupings at the moment.

At a meeting with 600 entrepreneurs on Thursday, Ms. Kumaratunga said she was prepared to summon Parliament before September 7 - till when it has been prorogued - if the two parties could arrive at a consensus on the political crisis, but virtually ruled out the possibility herself.

``The UNP is not serious on a common clear cut programme of work. They are only asking `What position will we get' at every turn of the discussion,'' Ms. Kumaratunga said.

The PA had held several rounds of discussions with the UNP for a ``consensual agreement'' but said she had been consistently ``let down'' by the party.

The UNP's contention is that the PA has been making overtures to individuals within its ranks, rather than the party as a whole, leading to suspicion that its main intent was to break the Opposition. The party has now formed a three-member committee to deal with all approaches to it by the Government on the question of forming a national Government.

But it has laid down many conditions for agreeing to a power- sharing arrangement, the main one being that the PA, having lost its minority in Parliament, cannot lead the Government.

By implication, this is supposed to mean that the UNP and its allies can prove a majority in Parliament and should be invited to lead the Government.

The UNP leader, Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe, has been talking of cohabitation, French style, with the President and Prime Minister from different parties.

The UNP has stated that its ``minimum agenda'' if it forms the Government, would be to set up independent commissions in five areas of governance, namely elections, the police, the bureaucracy, the judiciary and the media.

Significantly, while there is a groundswell of opinion in favour of the PA and the UNP coming together in a ``national Government'', there is no clarity yet on whether such an arrangement would include parties representing the namely the Tamils and Muslims.

An arrangement in which the two main Sinhala-dominated parties come together in Government would could marginalise the minorties, and reduce whatever leverage they have now in governance.

Chandrika offers to quit

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Section  : International
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