SLFP, JVP to meet Sunday over ministerial dispute

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 April 2004, 17:10 GMT]
Senior leaders of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), two major constituents of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) are scheduled to meet Sunday in the President's House to take a final decision on the dispute over the allocation of ministries to the JVP, government sources said. The dispute marked a tumultous beginning to UPFA government and has raised questions on the ability of the Alliance to focus on governance.

Sri Lanka's President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunge, is expected to preside over the meeting, which is expected to seal the on-going dispute between the two major constituents over the allocation of Mahaveli Development Authority subject to the JVP once and for all, ruling party sources said.

The JVP has been demanding that the President should take over the Mahaveli Development Authority subject with her and hand over the Deputy Minister post to them. The JVP has made this suggestion to the President if the SLFP is not prepared to hand over the Mahaveli Development Authority to a JVP parliamentarian, sources said.

JVP propaganda secretary and parliamentarian, Mr.Wimal Weerawanse, said on Friday at a press briefing that the ministerial dispute between the two partners would not be allowed to drag on after Sunday. "We would however find a solution to the ministerial dispute in Sunday's meeting," said Mr.Weerawanse.

Meanwhile, the President has not issued the Extraordinary Gazette notification containing the names of 31 ministers and 31 deputy ministers who have already assumed duties soon after they were sworn-in two weeks ago. The President has been waiting for the resolution of the ministerial conflict between the JVP and SLFP to gazette the names of all ministers and deputy ministers in one notification, ruling party sources said.