Colombo, December 7
Riding on an anti-establishment wave and promising free markets and peace talks, the UNP-led opposition front won a simple majority in Wednesday’s parliamentary elections forcing Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga to invite Ranil Wickremasinghe to be the next Prime Minister of the country.
Ms Kumaratunga lost no time in inviting UNP leader Wickremasinghe to form the new government, as the war-weary electorate of this island nation forced the two bitter rivals to govern the country together.
Ms Kumaratunga invited Wickremasinghe to her house tomorrow “to discuss” measures relating to the appointment of the new Premier and the rest of the Cabinet.
The UNP, however, fell short by four seats to claim a majority of its own in the 225-member Parliament as it bagged 109 seats to the 77 seats of the defeated People’s Alliance.
Incumbent Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake resigned this afternoon after the party came a cropper against an anti-establishment wave fuelled by economic stagnation and high costs of living mainly due to the protracted war.
Earlier, a nationwide curfew was announced following the outbreak of violence in some areas of the island country.
Two persons were killed when members of the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation and the Democratic People’s Liberation Front clashed at Vavuniya, in northern Sri Lanka, officials said, adding that four others were injured.
PTI, Reuters
