Sri Lanka offer gets cool response

President Kumaratunga has sought reconciliation

By Frances Harrison BBC correspondent in Colombo

There has been a lukewarm response from the Sri Lankan Government to an appeal from President Kumaratunga for political rivals to join hands in the interests of peace.

The government seems to be saying... it is merely up to the president to decide whether to support their policies

The president's appeal followed growing fears that severe strains within Sri Lanka's cohabitation government - where the president and prime minister come from rival parties - might undermine the current peace process.

But spokesman GL Peiris said while the government welcomed offers of co-operation from all quarters it still had to implement its own agenda.

President Chandrika Kumaratunga's televised address to the nation on Thursday night was notable for its conciliatory tone.

She said the people of Sri Lanka had elected a president from one party and a prime minister from another to indicate that they wanted the country's two main democratic parties to work together.

Building bridges

It was a speech that called for a fresh start - for everyone to join hands and forget the past.

But Mr Peiris said they had to implement their own programme of work as presented to the electorate in the last election and it was impossible for them to carry out any other policies under that mandate.

Ranil Wickramasinghe: Strained ties with the president

He said they would greatly welcome support from other political parties as far as there were no divergences in their policies.

Basically, what the government seems to be saying is there is no room for compromise or collaboration - it is merely up to the president to decide whether to support their policies.

Mr Peiris, who is known to have difficult relations with the president because he defected from her party last year, refused to answer further questions on the subject.

It is possible there are others within the prime minister's party who are more willing to try and build bridges with the president - but so far there is little reason to hope the workings of the cohabitation government will become more cordial.