Colombo, May 09: Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe today clashed over a key fund, triggering the first major crisis in their uneasy co-habitation arrangement. Wickremesinghe objected to Kumaratunga's appropriating the national development lottery, a huge source of public funds part of which goes to the President's fund. Kumaratunga yesterday wrote to the minister of economic reforms, science and technology saying she was objecting to proposed changes to the functioning of development lotteries board and was taking over the department from his purview. Charging that the changes would be against the public interest, Kumaratunga said, "the implementation of these changes would adversely affect the functioning of the President's fund and the various projects health, education, cultural being implemented for the benefit of the less affluent sections of society."
In reply, Wickremesinghe urged her to desist and protested that he had not been consulted first in accordance with the constitution. "I regret I cannot agree to any subject or function assigned being changed by yourself without reference to me as Prime Minister," Wickremesinghe said. The crisis comes 17 months after Wickremesinghe assumed office as Prime Minister with his main political rival heading the presidency.
Both are leaders of the island's two main political parties. An acrimonious relationship between them has seen them lock horns on previous occasions, notably on the ongoing bid to make peace with the rebel Tamil Tigers which has Norway as brokers. However, this is the first time the two are in a face to face confrontation. Bureau Report