Let's work together, says President
Calling once again for a grand national alliance to rule the country for at least a year, President Kumaratunga on Friday said she had entrusted Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to carry on with the peace process. Declaring open a drinking water project at Mahara in Hambantota, she said the Prime Minister should do his bit while she would do hers. "This is the meaning of a cohabitation government," she said.
"While the Prime Minister does his part, I can do mine. We can continue things without any division," she said.

The President said cooperation and coordination of the defence sector were necessary to maintain the peace process and she had already instructed the three forces to let the peace process continue. She said that some were opposing the idea of a national alliance as it would give them less opportunities to steal and some were also fearful they may lose their portfolios.

She said it was time to stop thinking about personal gains and the two main parties should come together at least for one year to find solutions to the country's problems and direct the country's development activities. Stressing that the PM's peace process had many achievements as well as failures, Ms. Kumaratunga said the country still had a long way to go to achieve peace. Calling the present constitution a 'bahubootha' one, she said even the architects of the constitution would never have envisaged a crisis like today.

President Kumaratunga also said her life was more in danger than it was a week before and she was facing threats not only from the LTTE but from others as well. She said even if there were bomb explosions to disrupt the current situation she was ready to face anything.

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