The Hindu : Chandrika likely to dissolve Parliament

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 01, 2004

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Chandrika likely to dissolve Parliament

By V.S. Sambandan

COLOMBO, JAN. 31. With official-level talks to solve Sri Lanka's political standoff collapsing, current indications are that the President, Chandrika Kumaratunga, is likely to dissolve the 225-member Parliament in the next few days, paving the way for a snap general election.

The possibility of an early election arises against the backdrop of an imminent collapse in the official-level talks and moves by the ruling United National Front (UNF) to rush a bill providing for a single-day, island-wide election to the Provincial Councils — the second tier of governance in Sri Lanka. The likely dissolution of Parliament would mean that a general election would precede the Provincial polls. Moreover, the recently-formed alliance between the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) headed by Ms. Kumaratunga and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) favours a Parliamentary poll, as it sees a possible "anti-incumbency factor" in the Provinces ruled by the SLFP. As a Provincial Council is to be dissolved on February 8, the UNF is planning the electoral amendment bill early this week, providing for the simultaneous dissolution of all Councils and a single-day election.

The official-level talks to solve the island's three-month-long political deadlock have got stuck on the sensitive issue of control over the Defence Ministry. After Ms. Kumaratunga constitutionally took over this Ministry on November 4, the Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, relinquished responsibility for the peace process, demanding the restoration of the status quo ante giving him the authority over the Ministry.

Despite meetings between officials of the two leaders, fundamental differences persist, particularly on the issue of control over the Defence Ministry. "They are unlikely to make any breakthrough" and the talks "are collapsing," Janadasa Peiris, a spokesman for the President told The Hindu today. The early sign of collapse came on Friday night, when a scheduled meeting between the officials did not take place.

Sources close to the Prime Minister said that a proposal for "sharing power" had been forwarded by the Premier's team. Declining to spell out the details, he said: "It is about sharing of power, rather than asking for power." However, according to a spokesman for Ms. Kumaratunga, "there is nothing new in those proposals" as the Premier's team was "insisting on the restoration of the status quo."

Pointing out that Ms. Kumaratunga had offered Mr. Wickremesinghe "certain powers to implement the peace process," the President's spokesman ruled out a return of the Defence portfolio. "It cannot be given back. It will be unconstitutional," he said. While the prospects of general elections have sharply re-emerged, the possible outcome remains unclear. For the ruling UNF, the peace process, particularly the two-year-long ceasefire with the LTTE will be the main electoral point.

The Opposition will focus on a set of issues, particularly the economic conditions in the south and Mr. Wickremesinghe's "handling of the peace process." The electoral arithmetic of the SLFP-JVP combine, based on the 2001 elections, gives it an advantage in 10 southern electoral districts, but the outcome of yet another general election will depend on the campaign strategies to be adopted by the two parties.

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