PA ally sets deadline for new Constitution

By Nirupama Subramanian

COLOMBO, OCT. 14. A crucial ally of Sri Lanka's new Government has threatened to withdraw from the coalition if its 100-day deadline for the implementation of a new Constitution was not met.

The National Unity Alliance (NUA), earlier known as the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, has four independent seats in the current Parliament.

Its leader, Mr. Rauff Hakeem, said at a news conference today that in exchange for the party's support, without which the People's Alliance (PA) could not have formed the Government, he had set the 100-day deadline for the implementation of constitutional reforms proposed by the Government in its first term.

To meet the NUA deadline, the Government would need to seek the support of the Opposition, as it does not by itself have the required two-thirds strength in Parliament to make changes to the Constitution. The PA's attempt to do this two months before the election ended in failure.

Mr. Hakeem said it might be no less difficult for the Government to rope in the Opposition United National Party (UNP) this time, but indicated other avenues were available to the President, Mrs. Chandrika Kumaratunga, to bring in the new Constitution.

He foresaw no legal problems in converting the Parliament into a Constituent Assembly in which only a simple majority was required to make constitutional changes.

``We will not hesitate to withdraw support if our condition is not met,'' Mr. Hakeem said.

The NUA would use its ``leverage'' in the new dispensation to change the political culture of the country, and would be a ``fiercely independent'' member of the coalition Government, he said.

The party had been in talks with the UNP to persuade it to join a national Government.

``But the UNP was desirous of forming a Government of its own. I did not have confidence that the various disparate elements of a UNP coalition could have lasted, so I offered my support to the PA,'' Mr. Hakeem said.

In return for its support, the NUA has been promised two Cabinet portfolios, and ``two or three'' junior Ministries. It may also see its numbers increase in Parliament through nominations.

Expressing confidence in Mrs. Kumaratunga's approach to resolving the ethnic issue, Mr. Hakeem hailed the proposed new Constitution as ``courageous'', but said the hardline utterances of the Prime Minister, Mr. Ratnasiri Wickramanayake, on the Constitution and the LTTE pointed to a ``sorry state of affairs'' within the PA.

``There needs to be a door open to talks with the LTTE,'' he said, but added that he had not broached this subject with Mrs. Kumaratunga. She said before elections that the time had passed when talks could be held with the LTTE, and that her Government would prosecute an all-out war against the separatist group.

Mr. Hakeem said that Tamil parties also needed to be consulted on this issue.

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