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New Sri Lankan opposition alliance vows to oust government
Associated Press,
Thu January 29, 2004 09:06 EST .
KRISHAN FRANCIS - Associated Press Writer - COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - (AP) Sri Lanka - 's new opposition alliance vowed Thursday to oust Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe because of his government's handling of peace negotiations with Tamil rebels and the economy. The front is an alliance between the Sri Lanka - Freedom Party, headed by President Chandrika Kumaratunga, and the Marxist People's Liberation Front opposition parties in Sri Lanka - 's Parliament. Kumaratunga and her bitter rival, Wickremesinghe, lead different political parties and were elected separately. ``Going by the public enthusiasm since forming the alliance, I see that their hopes will be fulfilled in the near future,'' Kumaratunga said in a statement, indicating there could be snap polls. Her statement was read by a party official. The Freedom Party and the Marxists formed an alliance last week to oppose the government's peace moves and Tamil rebels' demands for wider autonomy. They accuse Wickremesinghe of making too many concessions to the rebels. Wickremesinghe runs the government's day-to-day affairs but Kumaratunga controls the military and has the power to sack the government and call for fresh elections. ``Through privatization the government has brought this country to slavery and is leading it to division,'' Marxist leader Somawansa Amarasinghe said. Amarasinghe returned to Sri Lanka - from London on Jan. 20. His party led armed struggles to overthrow the Sri Lankan government in 1971 and 1987, costing some 70,000 lives. It shed its militancy and entered mainstream politics in 1994. Amarasinghe fled to Europe in 1989 after the government crushed the second insurrection. He returned for a brief period in 2001. He pledged the alliance would promote the nation's economy, democracy and an independent foreign policy. ``We don't want a slavish foreign policy. Though we are a small country, it is our right to have a dignified foreign policy,'' he said. The Marxists accuse Wickremesinghe of following a pro-West stand. Amarasinghe said the alliance will identify and solve the ``true problems'' confronting minority Tamils. He did not elaborate. The Marxists are known to oppose devolving powers to the Tamil-majority northeast, where the rebels demand greater economy. The Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam rebels have fought the government since 1983 to carve out a separate nation for minority Tamils, accusing the majority Sinhalese of discrimination. About 65,000 people were killed in the fighting, which was stopped by a Norway-brokered cease-fire in February 2002. In peace talks that followed, the Tigers agreed to accept regional autonomy instead of total independence. The peace process is currently suspended because of the bitter power struggle between Kumaratunga and Wickremesinghe.
Published: Thu Jan 29 11:46:46 EST 2004
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