In an unexpected twist to Sri Lanka’s politics, outgoing President Chandrika Kumaratunga this week held sudden talks with the leader of the opposition, Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe, on forging a common front between their two parties on the ethnic question.
“Both agreed on the importance of all major political parties working together in order to resolve the country’s most troubled issue, that of war and peace,” the President’s office said after the meeting Monday.
The move threatens to throw the Presidential election campaign of her ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party’s (SLFP) candidate, Premier Mahinda Rajapakse, into disarray, as he has already set out a platform sharply opposed to Mr. Wickremesinghe’s United National Party (UNP).
Echoing widespread belief amongst Tamils and the ‘Ranil-Chandrika’ talks were more to do with southern political manoeuvres than resolving the ethnic conflict, the Liberation Tigers dismissed the move as inconsequential.
“This is not a discussion between the two candidates. We have an outgoing president talking to one of the candidates,” spokesman Daya Master told The Associated Press.
“She was in power for 10 years, but did nothing,” he added, in reference to President Kumaratunga’s two terms in office.
Mr. Wickremesinghe’s tenure as Premier from December 2001 to April 2004 was beset by bitter wrangling with Mrs. Kumaratunga, whose People’s Alliance (PA) coalition had been narrowly toppled by his UNP-led one in hard-fought elections.
Moreover Mr. Wickremesinghe’s administration and the Norwegian-brokered peace process with the LTTE were paralysed when Mrs. Kumaratunga, using her powerful Presidential powers, seized three ministries from his cabinet in late 2003, accusing him of jeopardising national security by making too many concessions to the LTTE.
But in almost two hours of talks Monday, the two former archrivals agreed on the “the importance of working together for peace,” a statement by President Kumaratunga’s office said.
“President Kumaratunga met Wickremesinghe in a cordial atmosphere to discuss several matters of national interest,” the statement said.
Mr. Wickremesinghe had written to President Kumaratunga last month, soon after publishing his election manifesto, seeking a meeting with the President to discuss his proposals for the resolution of the ethnic question, the statement said.
“The proposals [in the UNP manifesto] were discussed at length. They both agreed on the importance of all major political parties working together in order to resolve the country’s most troubled issue, that of war and peace,” the statement said.
The President also stressed on the need to ensure a free and fair poll at the upcoming Presidential Elections and suitable measures were discussed and agreed upon the statement also said.
President Kumaratunga’s meeting with the UNP leader is expected to thrown the SLFP party machinery into confusion as amid her amicable discussions and agreements with Wickremesinghe, the SLFP candidate has taken a stridently different stance on the ethnic question, ruling out power-sharing with the Tamils.
Political analysts said Mrs. Kumaratunga’s actions could thus pave the way to Wickremesinghe’s victory at the closely fought November 17 elections.
This, some feel, is part of a wider strategy by President Kumaratunga, who is constitutionally barred from contesting a third term, to ensure for herself a continuing role in politics which could lead to her return to Sri Lanka’s leadership, possibly as an empowered Westminsiter-style Prime Minister after the abolishing of the Presidency.
Indeed, whilst Wickremesinghe and Kumaratunga were apparently agreed on the ethnic question, they could not resolve differences over the SLFP-led government’s budget.
“The leader of the Opposition expressed his party’s objection with regard to the proposed presentation of the budget by the government one week before the Presidential Election. [But] President Kumaratunga informed Mr. Wickremesinghe that her cabinet has made a unanimous decision to present the budget on the 8th of November,” the Presidential statement said.
“However she said she would discuss the reasons given by Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe for his party’s objections to this decision.”
“Both agreed on the importance of all major political parties working together in order to resolve the country’s most troubled issue, that of war and peace,” the President’s office said after the meeting Monday.
The move threatens to throw the Presidential election campaign of her ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party’s (SLFP) candidate, Premier Mahinda Rajapakse, into disarray, as he has already set out a platform sharply opposed to Mr. Wickremesinghe’s United National Party (UNP).
Echoing widespread belief amongst Tamils and the ‘Ranil-Chandrika’ talks were more to do with southern political manoeuvres than resolving the ethnic conflict, the Liberation Tigers dismissed the move as inconsequential.
“This is not a discussion between the two candidates. We have an outgoing president talking to one of the candidates,” spokesman Daya Master told The Associated Press.
“She was in power for 10 years, but did nothing,” he added, in reference to President Kumaratunga’s two terms in office.
Mr. Wickremesinghe’s tenure as Premier from December 2001 to April 2004 was beset by bitter wrangling with Mrs. Kumaratunga, whose People’s Alliance (PA) coalition had been narrowly toppled by his UNP-led one in hard-fought elections.
Moreover Mr. Wickremesinghe’s administration and the Norwegian-brokered peace process with the LTTE were paralysed when Mrs. Kumaratunga, using her powerful Presidential powers, seized three ministries from his cabinet in late 2003, accusing him of jeopardising national security by making too many concessions to the LTTE.
But in almost two hours of talks Monday, the two former archrivals agreed on the “the importance of working together for peace,” a statement by President Kumaratunga’s office said.
“President Kumaratunga met Wickremesinghe in a cordial atmosphere to discuss several matters of national interest,” the statement said.
Mr. Wickremesinghe had written to President Kumaratunga last month, soon after publishing his election manifesto, seeking a meeting with the President to discuss his proposals for the resolution of the ethnic question, the statement said.
“The proposals [in the UNP manifesto] were discussed at length. They both agreed on the importance of all major political parties working together in order to resolve the country’s most troubled issue, that of war and peace,” the statement said.
The President also stressed on the need to ensure a free and fair poll at the upcoming Presidential Elections and suitable measures were discussed and agreed upon the statement also said.
President Kumaratunga’s meeting with the UNP leader is expected to thrown the SLFP party machinery into confusion as amid her amicable discussions and agreements with Wickremesinghe, the SLFP candidate has taken a stridently different stance on the ethnic question, ruling out power-sharing with the Tamils.
Political analysts said Mrs. Kumaratunga’s actions could thus pave the way to Wickremesinghe’s victory at the closely fought November 17 elections.
This, some feel, is part of a wider strategy by President Kumaratunga, who is constitutionally barred from contesting a third term, to ensure for herself a continuing role in politics which could lead to her return to Sri Lanka’s leadership, possibly as an empowered Westminsiter-style Prime Minister after the abolishing of the Presidency.
Indeed, whilst Wickremesinghe and Kumaratunga were apparently agreed on the ethnic question, they could not resolve differences over the SLFP-led government’s budget.
“The leader of the Opposition expressed his party’s objection with regard to the proposed presentation of the budget by the government one week before the Presidential Election. [But] President Kumaratunga informed Mr. Wickremesinghe that her cabinet has made a unanimous decision to present the budget on the 8th of November,” the Presidential statement said.
“However she said she would discuss the reasons given by Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe for his party’s objections to this decision.”
