August 09, 2007	Thursday	Rajab 24, 1428

COLOMBO: Amidst agitation for fresh polls and a steadily continuing war, the Alliance regime of President Mahinda Rajapakse hangs in balance following last Thursday’s exit of a Tamil political party from the government spurring fears that other political parties may follow suit.

The members of the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC), holding ministerial positions and representing Sri Lanka’s Tamils of Indian origin who make up the work force of the country’s tea sector, pulled out of the government reportedly after a heated argument with Presidential adviser and brother of the President, Basil Rajapakse.

“We have made our decision and have informed the President that we will be sitting with the Opposition in Parliament”, party spokesman R. Yogarajan told journalists but denied that the party wanted to topple the government.

The sudden decision by the CWC which has reduced the government’s parliamentary majority to the bare minimum of 113 in the 225 parliament is the latest blow to the Rajapakse administration which finds itself facing the possibility of the alliance being drained of more political parties.

The CWC’s move comes against the backdrop of the main opposition, the United National Party (UNP) and the SLFP — Mahajana Wing, the newly formed break away political party of the ruling SLFP headed by former Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera signing a pact to unite as a ‘National Congress’ to mount pressure on the government to go in for snap polls.

Meanwhile, adding to President Rajapakse’s headaches, his former supporters, the Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna which helped him come into power in the 2005 November Presidential election has declared they will not ‘protect’ a ‘dying government’. The JVP have instead promised to steer public ‘awareness campaigns’ against the rising cost of living and alleged mismanagement by the government.

But despite its troubles, government officials say they are depending for public support based on the recent military victories in the east of the country.

“After nearly 15 years, it is only this government which has effectively eradicated terrorism from the eastern district. Last year we ousted the LTTE terrorists from the Trincomalee and Ampara districts and this year we have completely cleared the Tigers from Batticaloa”, government military spokesman Keheliye Rambukwella told Dawn.

Rambukwella refused to acknowledge claims that the government was heading into a crisis while the General Secretary of the SLFP, the main constituent party of the government declared on Sunday that elections would be held only in 2011.

“It will be impossible for the United National Party (UNP) to topple the government”, SLFP General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena told a public rally ruling out the possibility of elections.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) which is a part of the government said the party was closely monitoring the political developments.

The SLMC leader Rauf Hakeem has been critical of several recent government decisions such as the forcible removal of north eastern Tamils from lodges in Colombo two months ago and last month’s elaborate military celebrations in Colombo to mark the LTTE’s defeat in Batticaloa.