Financial Times

Ultimatum to Chandrika and Ranil
By Duruthu Edirimuni
Sri Lanka's powerful corporate community last week gave an ultimatum to the country's two warring political leaders, saying they would implement a set of proposals under preparation if the two didn't respond by January 31.

Mahendra Amarasuriya, chairman of the Joint Business Forum (J-Biz) said business leaders have invited President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe for a joint crisis meeting before January 31. The same date has been set as a deadline in which the combined group of business leaders, social activists and professionals will galvanise into action if the two leaders fail to respond.

These decisions were taken at a second round of talks attended by religious, professional and social representatives and J-Biz where the crisis confronting the country was discussed for two hours on Monday. The President and the Premier have been at loggerheads ever since the former wrested control of three key ministries in November, triggering a suspension of the peace process, a slowing down in some areas of economic activity and a serious setback to new foreign investment.

Amarasuriya stressed the private sector's repeated demands for both leaders to reunite and lead the country. He said the political jam has to be settled and invited the gathering of business leaders to pitch ideas on ending the deadlock.

J-Biz looked at prospects of the unified discourse with the President and the Prime Minister, communal tensions and also considered calls from business leaders for the non-payment of taxes as a protest and holding Provincial Council elections on a single day.

Finally private sector industrialists agreed to finalise a minimum mutual cooperation framework between the leaders of J-Biz, religious and civil society groups that would spell out an action plan to resolve the crisis.

Sarvodaya leader A.T. Ariyaratne, who runs Sri Lanka's biggest grassroots organisation, was a special invitee at Monday's meeting where he called for three minutes of meditation before speaking on ways of taking Sri Lanka out of the current mess.

At a another similar meeting on Wednesday, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said the government cannot execute Articles 1 and 3 of the ceasefire agreement with the LTTE as a direct outcome of the President taking charge of the defence ministry.

He addressed a gathering of religious leaders, civil society, politicians, professionals, trade unions, and business leaders at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute organised by the Ministry of Constitutional Affairs.

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