Colombo: The main partner in Sri Lanka's
grand opposition coalition will contest the next election
independently, coalition officials said today, the first split
since its defeated presidential candidate was arrested on
sedition charges.
United National Party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe told
reporters yesterday that his party had decided to go it alone
but also empowered him to summon its executive committee to
consider alternatives.
Another opposition official, Mano Ganeshan, said a news agency on Monday that the party's consideration of
alternatives is the "only silver lining," because otherwise
the opposition would have no chance to counter the president's
control of parliament.
"I believe that the grand alliance that took shape during
the presidential election is falling apart due to the very
rigid position taken by the UNP," Ganeshan said. "I am afraid
it may not continue."
In the presidential vote last month, a motley crew of
liberals, ultra-nationalist Marxists and former Tamil
separatists fielded former army chief Sarath Fonseka, who had
been a close ally of the president until a falling-out after
the war against the Tamil Tiger rebels ended last year.
PTI
First Published: Monday, February 15, 2010, 22:52