SRI LANKA Colombo towards a government of national unity

The new Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena has been tasked with coordinating the consultations with the political parties. President Ranil Wickremesinghe addressed Parliament after his election and called for “joining forces to create a new system”. The Samagi Jana Balawegaya and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party offered their availability depending on the proposals that are presented.

Colombo () – The new Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena has been charged with coordinating consultations with the political parties to form a government of national unity, with the possibility of expanding the executive. For that he will negotiate a common program with the parties in Parliament on the basis of which they can play a “significant role” within the Government, with the aim of solving the current political and economic crisis.

Government sources told that the two main parties in Parliament, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) led by opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) of former President Maithripala Sirisena, have expressed their availability to enter into a national government based on the proposals that will be advanced.

Under the current plan, the number of ministries will be limited to 25, because the cabinet cannot include more than 30 members, while the number of deputy ministers will be less than 40, although their number could increase depending on the response of other parties in Parliament. The Constitution establishes that in the event of the formation of a government of national unity, the Parliament decides the final number of ministers and deputies.

Several analysts told that a national unity government is the “best solution to overcome the current crisis”.

SJB sources commented that once the “national unity government model” is presented, they are “willing to discuss the proposals within the party and make a final decision.” Instead the SLFP made it known that it will consider the proposals if its own are also accepted. At the moment he has not decided whether he will accept ministerial positions.

According to a senior government official, the new president Wickremesinghe called on all parties represented in Parliament “to join forces to create a new system, because the time for divisions is over.” He said that “public opinion rejects the old policy, therefore Parliament must work together based on specific objectives that guarantee the future of the country”, since “it is a known fact that the country faces great difficulties and young they are asking for a change in the system.” For this reason, to get out of the crisis “we must put aside political differences.”

In his speech, Wickremesinghe extended a special invitation to rival candidates Dullas Alahapperuma, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, opposition leader Sajith Premadasa, former presidents Mahinda Rajapaksa and Maithripala Sirisena and all other parties including the Tamil National Alliance (TNA ), to join the government of national unity.

Prime Minister Gunwardena took office this morning. He is an old schoolmate of Wickremesinghe, a friend of his since he was three years old, but he leads a diametrically opposed party ideologically: Wickremesinghe is a free marketer and pro-Western politician, while Gunawardena is a staunch Sinhala nationalist, who believes in socialism and would like greater state control over the economy.