posted December 24, 2001 10:53 AM            

By: Suranimala

While fresh hopes of peace wafted across the island with the LTTE's unilateral declaration of a cease-fire and a pledge by the newly elected government to reciprocate, the People's Alliance was busy mapping out strategy to topple the government within six months.

The peace process is expected to see some rapid movement early January following Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's visit to India this week followed by the government reciprocating the cease-fire gesture and officially making contact with the LTTE through the Norwegians to resume a dialogue. With a cease-fire in place and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe directing that all road blocks be removed, psychologically the public too are geared for peace and the resultant economic revival albeit at a price which the people are in a mood to pay for a lasting peace.

At the same time, given the international outlook on terrorism, the LTTE too would be more conducive to compromise for a negotiated peace, thereby giving real hope for a lasting solution to the ethnic problem.

But of course it is a Himalayan task the government will be undertaking and would necessarily have to be in full control of the domestic political agenda if it is to overcome the political landmines on the way, especially due to the economic troubles looming large.

Hard grind ahead

That the government of President Chandrika Kumaratunga has run the
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Who is the boss ?

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By: Peter Casie Chitty

Who is the Head of State, now that President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe are both abroad?

Technically under the 1972 Constitution the Chief Justice would automatically have replaced an absent Governor General. But legal eagle and Constitutional expert K.N.Choksy who is also the Minister of Finance now says that there is no provision in the 1978 Constitution for the automatic replacement.

However in order of precedence the Speaker Joseph Michael Perera is next on 'the pecking list', but he has not been sworn in by the President to replace her even momentarily - so she is constitutional head in absentia.

Courtesy: Daily Mirror - December 24th, 2001
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economy to the ground is no secret, including visiting a power crisis on the country but it is to fix this situation, and relieve the burdens on the people, the United National Front government was elected to office and the people will be expecting it to deliver the goods.

It is in that context, the government of Ranil Wickremesinghe will do well to take the public into confidence and explain the difficult times ahead in the immediate future before the country could turn the bend and prepare the public for the hard grind ahead.

For, at a time the peace process is on the road and difficult compromises have to be made, the people will be in less of a mood to support the government if they themselves are facing trying economic times, thereby creating an ideal climate for public agitation by opposition forces, out to use communalism as a meeting point.

In fact that is exactly what the People's Alliance is counting on, having already told its members the new government would be ousted in six months on the basis that the peace process will collapse and the economy go off the rails.