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No immediate moves to impeach Kumaratunga: UNF
The United National Front (UNF) government has ruled out any immediate plans to impeach President Chandrika Kumaratunga.
The United National Front (UNF) government has ruled out any immediate plans to impeach President Chandrika Kumaratunga.
The message was communicated during a three-hour meeting between Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Kumaratunga at the President House early this week.
Hardliners in the ruling UNF coalition, who masterminded the no-confidence motion against the previous people's alliance coalition, have been pressing Wickremesinghe to impeach the President on alleged grounds of corruption, abuse of power and intimidation of political opponents, following the UNF's election victory on December 5 last year.
But the UNF hierarchy appears disinclined to move for an impeachment motion at this stage due to two factors -- pressure from the 'international community' and the absence of a two-thirds majority required for the exercise.
Kumaratunga was re-elected in December 1999, and is entitled to rule till 2005 as the country's executive president. The meeting between the President and the Prime Minister took place to iron out outstanding problems arising from the two month-long coalition administration of Kumaratunga led PA and Wickremesinghe led UNF. Local reports quoting the government, however, said the possibility of moving an impeachment motion against her was still very much there before the end of this year purely to prevent her from dissolving parliament when she has the constitutional powers to do so after the completion of one year.
Meanwhile, it has been announced that President Kumaratunga would be the chief guest and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe the guest of honour at the 54th Independence Day Monday.
A spokesman for the organising committee said the President and the Prime Minister would take the salute at the guard of honour but there would be no traditional message to the nation. Though President Kumaratunga is the head of state and the government, Premier Wickremesinghe is known to be virtually in total charge of formulating national policy. Hence, the President did not make the traditional policy statement when the new Parliament, where the UNF has a majority, held its first sitting last month.
Bureau Report
Hardliners in the ruling UNF coalition, who masterminded the no-confidence motion against the previous people's alliance coalition, have been pressing Wickremesinghe to impeach the President on alleged grounds of corruption, abuse of power and intimidation of political opponents, following the UNF's election victory on December 5 last year.
But the UNF hierarchy appears disinclined to move for an impeachment motion at this stage due to two factors -- pressure from the 'international community' and the absence of a two-thirds majority required for the exercise.
Kumaratunga was re-elected in December 1999, and is entitled to rule till 2005 as the country's executive president. The meeting between the President and the Prime Minister took place to iron out outstanding problems arising from the two month-long coalition administration of Kumaratunga led PA and Wickremesinghe led UNF. Local reports quoting the government, however, said the possibility of moving an impeachment motion against her was still very much there before the end of this year purely to prevent her from dissolving parliament when she has the constitutional powers to do so after the completion of one year.
Meanwhile, it has been announced that President Kumaratunga would be the chief guest and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe the guest of honour at the 54th Independence Day Monday.
A spokesman for the organising committee said the President and the Prime Minister would take the salute at the guard of honour but there would be no traditional message to the nation. Though President Kumaratunga is the head of state and the government, Premier Wickremesinghe is known to be virtually in total charge of formulating national policy. Hence, the President did not make the traditional policy statement when the new Parliament, where the UNF has a majority, held its first sitting last month.
Bureau Report