Colombo, Nov 10: Finding herself in a tight spot, Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga today invited arch-rival Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to discuss the current crisis even as the latter said he was prepared for a snap poll to seek a fresh mandate for his peace process with Tamil Tigers. Within hours of Wickremesinghe telling his cabinet colleagues to prepare to face snap elections, Kumaratunga wrote a letter inviting him for talks on the crisis she sparked on Tuesday by sacking three ministers and suspending Parliament for two weeks while briefly invoking emergency.
"In view of the current political situation in the country and my proposal last week to form a government of reconstruction and reconciliation, I would like to meet you in order to discuss your views on this matter," she said.
She gave Wickremesinghe three days from tomorrow to choose a time for the meeting, she said in the letter released to the press.
The premier, however, made it clear that the crisis would have to be resolved eventually before the people at a vote as they could not continue with the slender majority they now have, government sources said here.
Government spokesman G. L. Peiris, who is also the constitutional affairs minister, said the government would welcome a snap election as it was confident it could increase its present two-seat majority in Parliament.
Peiris` announcement came hours before the arrival of Norwegian peace brokers to discuss resumption of the peace process with LTTE, stalled since April. Bureau Report