Search the Internet           Tips

PA forms govt in Lanka, UNP concedes defeat

A chastened People's Alliance returned to power in civil war-torn Sri Lanka while the opposition United National Party conceded defeat, but differences lingered among parties in the ruling coalition, on Friday.

The PA's Ratnasiri Wickremanayake was sworn in as prime minister by President Chandrika Kumaratunga at her Temple Trees residence. Several members of parliament were present during the simple ceremony. No ministers were sworn in along with Wickremanayake.

The 67-year-old Wickremanayake was prime minister in the outgoing cabinet. He assumed the premiership on August 10 this year after Sirimavo Bandaranaike, who died on Tuesday, stepped down due to ill health.

The PA, which emerged as the single largest party bagging 107 seats in the 225-member parliament, gained the support of the National Unity Alliance of former minister A M H Asraff with four members of parliament and the Eelam Peoples' Democratic Party of Douglas Devananda with five members - thus crossing the 113-mark needed to form a government.

However, uncertainty persisted over the final decision of the NUA, which put up several conditions to join the government.

NUA leader Raff Hakkem said he had a prolonged discussion with Kumaratunga on Thursday night where he put forth preconditions to joining the government. It was not immediately known whether the president accepted all the conditions.

The president had on Thursday invited the PA to form a government. The United National Party, which secured 89 seats, came second and the Janatha Vimukthi Perumana emerged as the third force with ten seats in Tuesday's elections.

UNP leader Ranil Wikremasinghe reluctantly conceded defeat on Friday and forecast a short life for the new government. "The new parliament will not last its six year term," he asserted.

He rejected speculation that the UNP was trying to form the government in coalition with other minor parties. That the PA failed to get an absolute majority is proof of the rejection of its policies by the people, he said.

Wickremanayake was minister of public administration, plantation industries and home affairs and also leader of the house before he became the prime minister.

A Sinhala hardliner, he first entered the political scene when he successfully contested the parliamentary election in March 1960 on the ticket of the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna.

In 1962, he joined the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and successfully contested the Horana seat in Kalutara district.

He was deputy minister of justice and later minister of justice and minister of plantation industries in the Sirimavo Bandaranaike government of 1970-77.

He was appointed general secretary of SLFP in 1977 after the party was defeated in the elections. In the parliamentary election held in 1994, he secured the highest number of votes in the Kalutara district.

Wickremanayake was educated in Sri Lanka and then passed out as a barrister from Lincoln's Inn, London.

UNI

EARLIER REPORT
PA coalition likely to be sworn in Friday
Chandrika's party leads in Lanka

Back to top

Tell us what you think of this report