COLOMBO, 5 November 2003 — Sri Lanka’s powerful president stunned this island nation yesterday when she sacked three Cabinet ministers, suspended Parliament and deployed troops around the capital — moves that endanger the fragile peace process with Tamil Tiger rebels.
President Chandrika Kumaratunga — who is commander of the armed forces and has wide executive authority under the constitution — made the surprise power grab against her political rival, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, while he was in Washington to meet with President George W. Bush.
Wickremesinghe hit back, accusing Kumaratunga of endangering Sri Lanka’s bid to end two decades of civil war. “The irresponsible and precipitous action of the president is aimed at plunging the country into chaos and anarchy,” Wickremesinghe said in a statement from Washington.
Kumaratunga has been severely critical of how Wickremesinghe has handled peace efforts with the Tamil Tiger rebels, arguing that his government has given too many concessions without ensuring that the Tigers abandon their armed struggle for a separate homeland.
“I was compelled to take this action to safeguard the security of our motherland,” Kumaratunga said in an address to the nation over state-run television. “My actions were not directed at individuals or a party. I have merely exercised my authority under the constitution to safeguard the interest of the country,” Kumaratunga said.
She said she was prepared to talk to Tamil Tiger rebels to “find a transparent and just solution to the ethnic conflict,” but also pledged to safeguard law and order with the help of the armed forces.
Earlier yesterday, the president sacked Wickremesinghe’s defense, interior and information ministers — all of whom supported the coaxing of peace with the Tamil Tigers — and took control of those ministries.
Kumaratunga’s office said the ministers were fired “after careful consideration in order to prevent further deterioration of the security situation in the country.” It did not elaborate. Her office did not say why Parliament was suspended for two weeks.
There was no panic in Colombo, a city of 1.2 million people, hardened by years of suicide attacks, bombings and more than 65,000 deaths in the civil war.
Wickremesinghe said he would not return to Colombo until meeting with Bush today.
“The country is in danger of plunging into another war as a result of the president’s attempts to change the government at a time the country is experiencing, at least, a temporary peace,” said Kanagalingam Shivajilingam, a Tamil parliamentarian.
Jehan Perera, an analyst with an independent think-tank, the National Peace Council, said: “She wants to show that she is supreme and can take decisive action.”
