17 February 2004	Tuesday	25 Zilhaj 1424

COLOMBO, Feb 16: Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga has called for a "clear mandate" at the forthcoming parliamentary elections. Addressing a public gathering on Sunday _ the first since she called snap elections for April 2 last week _ Ms Kumaratunga said: "We don't want a slim majority, we want a clear mandate."

The election, the third in the country since 2000, are being held four years before schedule. Ms Kumaratunga and Mr Wickremesinghe were forced to enter into an uneasy power-sharing arrangement in Dec 2001 after the defeat of the president's party in the election.

Ms Kumaratunga said she had found it was impossible to run the country in association with the prime minister, alleging that Mr Wickremesinghe had jeopardized national security through his peace initiatives with the LTTE.