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UNP rejects CBK’s offer to form Govt.
By Our Political Editor
President Chandrika Kumaratunga offered to form a coalition government with the United National Party giving it fifty per cent of the Cabinet portfolios but it was turned down.

The Sunday Times learns that thereafter she also made overtures to call upon Opposition and UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to form a government on his own. This too did not get UNP approval.

These overtures, it is learnt, came as her United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) collapsed due to the pullout by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP). This came after she refused to heed calls by her Government's junior partner to drop moves to forge a Joint Mechanism or P-TOMS to share tsunami aid with Tiger guerrillas.

The first offer for a 50-50 Cabinet sharing coalition government, The Sunday Times learnt, was made on behalf of Kumaratunga by Finance Minister Sarath Amunugama to his friend and UNP Chairman Malik Samarawickrema.
However, the move did not get the approval of Mr. Wickremesinghe.

Thereafter, the offer to allow the UNP to form a government had been made by President Kumaratunga when she met former Minister and UNP stalwart Milinda Moragoda early this week. Mr. Moragoda had obtained his leader's permission to go for the meeting and later reported on what was discussed.
Mr. Wickremesinghe is learnt to be of the view that the UNP is not keen to gain parliamentary power. Instead, its campaign is for the holding of Presidential elections before the end of this year. Towards this, the UNP has already planned a public street demonstration titled 'Jana Bala Meheyuma', due to begin from Matara on July 2.

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