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Local peace talks failing
By Our Political Editor

Efforts at bringing about agreement between the UNF coalition and the PA on the constitutional amendment to clip the wings of President Chandrika Kumaratunga dissolving Parliament at her sole discretion appear to have broken down.

Govt. to go ahead
The government yesterday decided to go ahead with its decision to gazette the proposed 19th amendment on Tuesday.

A decision to this effect was taken at a UNF leaders' meeting presided over by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe .

A senior government minister told The Sunday Times they were still willing to accommodate suggestions by the PA before the bill was gazetted, provided it did not distort the draft prepared by the government.

Nearly three weeks of discussions between President Kumaratunga and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe seem to have fallen apart after Friday's PA parliamentary group meeting where there was stiff opposition to what they termed "hurrying tactics" of the government.

At the group meeting former Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar who was associated in the discussions with the President and the Premier explained the proposal of the UNF government and the counter-proposals based on a general understanding of PA support for an amendment that would restrict the grounds on which the President can dissolve Parliament.

Former Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, also a lawyer, translated into Sinhala the intricate legal points Mr. Kadirgamar explained. Earlier, the SLFP central committee had more or less agreed to support the UNF move indicating it appreciated UNF fears that President Kumaratunga may dissolve Parliament at any stage and without good reason merely to throw the government off-balance.

But the PA's move last Friday seemed to go counter to the SLFP CC's decision. Most PA leaders are also in the SLFP CC. The Sunday Times learns that the main reason behind the change of mind appeared to be a feeling of arm-twisting and public statements by a section of the UNF which was giving deadlines, ultimatums and media leaks that were not in line with what the Prime Minister was saying to the President.

The Premier had told the President that he was not giving deadlines or ultimatums, but did indicate that he was under some pressure. Originally, the UNF had suggested an amendment which was worded to say that where the President is from one party and the Prime Minister is from another party, the President cannot dissolve Parliament without the Prime Minister's approval.

The PA had suggested this amendment to read differently saying that the President cannot dissolve Parliament unless the party having the majority of the House loses its majority and no other party or coalition in the same House can form a government.

The UNF seemed to, at first, agree to the latter amendment, but later wanted to include the fact that Parliament passes a resolution saying that no party can form a government from the House, without leaving that option to the President.

The Prime Minister had told the President on Tuesday that he wanted to include a provision where Parliament may ask the President to dissolve Parliament in the event that he cannot get a two-thirds majority of the House (150 votes) on an important national issue such as the peace talks.

Hardline PA members said that this was a move aimed at frightening MPs to vote in favour - or lose their seats and face elections. Moderate PA members said this was unnecessary tinkering with the Constitution.

The latest set of documents sent by the UNF to the PA now contain their original draft. It called for the President to be prevented from dissolving Parliament where the Prime Minister is from another party, without the approval of the premier, with an addition referring to the Resolution of Parliament, but does not contain any reference to the dissolving of Parliament upon the failure to obtain two-thirds on issues like the peace talks.

The PA meeting had abruptly ended on Friday afternoon when old Royalist PA members Anura Bandaranaike, Mangala Samaraweera and Dinesh Gunawardene were urging her to get ready to attend the schools prize-giving as chief guest.

Prime Minister Wickremesinghe, himself a Royalist, also attended the prize-giving but no discussions on political issues took place on stage. The President is likely to meet Mr. Kadirgamar again tomorrow, but with yet another deadline for Tuesday, the PA seems to be heading towards abandoning giving support for the UNF amendments, and leaving it to the UNF government to present its version of how to clip the President's executive powers in relation to dissolving Parliament, and finding the two-thirds for the change.

The UNF requires some 20 opposition MPs to support the Bill, and its hardliners are pressing for this move hoping it would split the already fragile PA membership further down the middle. But if they don't come up with the numbers, the UNF may have missed a chance and end up having the President retain those dangerous powers of dissolving Parliament at her sole discretion.

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