Sri Lanka's ruling People's Alliance on Monday agreed to face an opposition no-confidence motion in parliament on October 11, while President Chandrika Kumaratunga removed a senior rebel leader from his party post in a sign that she will not tolerate dissident activity. Parliamentary group leaders decided at a meeting that the motion moved by the United National Party would be taken up for debate and voting on Thursday. Meanwhile, state-controlled radio said the working committee of the alliance leader, Sri Lanka Freedom Party, removed former minister S B Dissanayake from his position as its chief secretary.
Kumaratunga presided over the committee meeting that also named a minister, Maithripala Sirisena, as the acting secretary in place of Dissanayake, who has raised the banner of revolt against her leadership. It is on Dissanayake and like-minded rebels that the UNP is banking to garner the votes needed to oust the PA regime in the 225-member house, which now has an effective voting strength of 223.
The President had charged Dissanayake with mismanaging funds allocated to his ministry for poverty alleviation programmes, but the defiant SLFP strongman had rejected the allegation. Along with two other ministers, he resigned on the eve of a cabinet pruning exercise.
Bureau Report