2nd Lead (Adds details)

Ruling Alliance facing crisis?

[TamilNet, Monday, 31 May 2004, 03:14 GMT]
Media reports from Colombo indicated cracks appearing within the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA), as the marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), one of the mainconstituents of UPFA, sent a written communique to Sri Lanka's President Ms Kumaratunge accusing her of violating the MoU signed between the JVP and SLFP.

Sunday Observer carried an article indicating that the JVP is annoyed over the recent cabinet appointments made by Ms. Kumaratunge.

"Our differences are sharp and growing," said Sunday Island quoting a spokesperson of JVP as saying.

While the SLFP-JVP MoU agreed on 35-cabinet positions, Ms.Kumaratunge exceeded this number by 2 with her two recent ministerial appointments to members of the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC). Mr.Sellasamy is to be made Minister for Estate Infrastructure and Social Development and Mr.Muthu Sivalingam Minister of Civil Aviation and Transport.

Sunday leader, a popular Colombo weekly said in its 31st May edition, "The JVP's position is that Kumaratunga continues to make appointments with scant regard to the provisions of the agreement, as there is no approving authority established still. In further violation, the President has also appointed several defeated PA candidates for coveted posts, a stance that has been opposed by the JVP from the beginning in terms of their agreement."

An AFP report quoting political sources said that the JVP is also not happy with appointments to made to key positions in state organizations.

Differences in the approach to peace process still remain with JVP insisting that there can only be decentralization and no devolution of power, while SLFP is agreeable to granting limited autonomy in NorthEast to Tamils.