Sri Lanka Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse has ruled out the possibility of snap elections.
He insisted that despite the government losing its majority in parliament its stability was not affected due to the existing constitution.
Rajapakse in an interview with the state run television said that parliament was not the only representative body of the government and it was bound with the executive presidency, hinting that presidential powers would be made use to govern the country despite crisis in the parliament.
"Under the executive presidential system, the government's stability would not be affected,"Premier Rajapakse said adding that "There will be no instability or threat to the reign of the present government."
He said some were of the view that the government would be placed in a difficult situation at the present juncture, but they had failed to realise that this is not the pre-78 constitution.
Under the previous constitution, abolished in 1978 parliament was more superior than the president.
The prime minister said he was confident that the government would face no obstacle in carrying forward the mandate given to it by the people to take the country forward.
Rajapakse's comments came two weeks after the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government was reduced to a minority in parliament following the withdrawal of the Marxists JVP (People's Liberation Front) from the government.
The government members have been reduced to 66 members without the JVP, but with the support of 13 other opposition party members they are likely to have 81 members.
A stable government requires a minimum of 113 members in the 225 seat parliament.
SAFE PASSAGE
Tigers give ultimatum to the government
Tamil guerrillas yesterday issued a two week ultimatum to the government with a warning to openly violate the ceasefire agreement (CFA), if the government failed to ensure a safe passage for their cadres travelling through government-controlled areas.
Tamil rebel political wing leader, S.P. Thamilselvan issued the warning during a meeting with the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in the rebel held Kilinochchi area, 320 km north of the capital.
Thamilselvan demanded that the government provide a clear response on procedures to ensure safety of travel for LTTE cadres in the east.
The failure of the government to provide security will force the LTTE to resume their own armed escort within two weeks, Thamilselvan warned.
The announcement follows the landmine attack in the north central Welikande on the LTTE convoy escorted by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and facilitated by the truce monitors. Two female cadres were injured in the blast last Sunday. "If the LTTE decides to use its own armed escort, the CFA will likely collapse and LTTE should not be held responsible for breaking the ceasefire," Thamilselvan told head of SLMM, Hagrup Haukland.
