Sri Lanka's main opposition ready to join unity government with ruling UNF

Sri Lanka's main opposition, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) on Thursday said that it would join the ruling United National Front (UNF) in forming a national government in the island nation.

The UNF led by Ranil Wickremesinghe won a parliamentary election on Monday by winning 106 seats in a 225 member parliament.

Wickremesinghe who will be sworn in as the country's new prime minister this week, in his first address to the media on Wednesday invited all political parties to join him in taking the country forward and implementing a national plan.

He added that he would require all the parties to work together to build a consensus on their national policies.

The SLFP which is a coalition partner in the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and is led by President Maithripala Sirisena announced on Thursday that it was ready to join the UNF in forming a united government to address key issues.

The decision was taken when the SLFP Central Committee headed by Sirisena met on Thursday morning in capital Colombo.

SLFP Senior Member Nimal Siripala De Silva told journalists that the SLFP will be in the National Government for two years and will work with other political parties in the Government.

SLFP member A.H.M. Fowzie said that a committee has been appointed under former President Chandrika Kumaratunga to work on a policy framework under which the SLFP will work in the National Government.

"If the National Government concept is successful it will continue after two years. If not then the SLFP will withdraw at the end of two years," Fowzie said. Endi