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General elections April 2
President dissolves parliament; Nominations for polls from Feb. 17 to 23
By Chris Kamalendran
Sri Lankans will face snap General Elections on April 2. Nominations for this will be held from February 17 to 23. The new Parliament will convene on April 22. These dramatic developments came late last night after President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga conferred with the Elections Commissioner and some of her key political advisors and issued a Gazette notification dissolving Parliament.

An official of the Presidential Secretariat carried the Gazette notification to the Government Printer's Office, just two hours before midnight. Five Defender jeeps carrying personnel from the Presidential Security Division (PSD) escorted his vehicle.

The first indication she would dissolve Parliament was given to leaders of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, her new political partner in a joint alliance. Unaware of this development, India's High Commissioner Nirupam Sen, had a meeting with President Kumaratunga where he voiced his Government's reservations about a snap general election for fear that it would cause both economic and political instability in Sri Lanka, a move that would impact on India. (See box story on below).

In accordance with the Constitution, the dissolution of Parliament would mean that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his Cabinet of Ministers will become a Caretaker Government. Premier Wickremesinghe was not given any advance notice about the dissolution of Parliament or plans for snap polls. In fact, UNP chairman Malick Samarawickrema and Prime Minister's Secretary, Bradman Weerakoon were due to meet Senior Presidential Advisor Mano Tittawala tomorrow to continue talks to formulate measures for cohabitation.

India advises against dissolution
President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga’s decision to dissolve parliament and go for snap polls is in effect a rejection of an Indian government request not to do so.

The Indian government had advised President Kumaratunga against a dissolution of Parliament and snap general elections. The advice was based on Indian fears of the political-economic instability it would cause in Sri Lanka.

Indian apprehensions, The Sunday Times learns, were conveyed to President Kumaratunga during two separate meetings by High Commissioner Nirupam Sen.

He is learnt to have conveyed India's desire that President Kumaratunga should forge a cohabitation arrangement with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and carry forward the peace process.

Similar Indian concerns are learnt to have been expressed by the Indian government's National Security Advisor Brijesh Mishra to the President's Foreign Affairs Advisor Lakshman Kadiragamar. This came during a meeting in New Delhi last month when Mr. Kadirgamar attended a seminar on International Security.

However, an Indian High Commission spokesman in Colombo said the meetings were 'routine' and denied any attempts by the Indian government to mediate between the President and the Prime Minister to resolve the current political crisis.

Political sources said that during the discussion between the Indian High Commissioner and the President the chances of establishing a national government also had been discussed.

The meeting between the President and the Indian High Commissioner took place two days after Mr. Sen returned from India.
(See also Situation Report by Iqbal Athas)

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