Judging from her talk and her actions many people in this country are wondering whether Chandrika Kumaratunga is only the President of the PA and the Opposition Group.

This is not what was envisaged in the Constitution which clearly states that "there shall be a President of the Republic of Sri Lanka who is the Head of the State". It is both very unfortunate and most regrettable that Chandrika is still finding it difficult to come to terms with the fact that the sovereign people of this country have elected the United Front Government to govern the country and that according to clause 42 of the Constitution she is responsible to Parliament for the due discharge of her powers and functions.

She is the President of the entire country and must therefore in her wisdom hold the scales evenly at all times and on all occasions.

She cannot and indeed she must not even in an insidious way withold her co-operation or undermine the work of the governing party.

Having been tutored in France she should have learnt that the National interest supersedes all other petty parochial interests and unstinted co-operation rather than sinister confrontation is what the people expect of her.

I sincerely hope this important message will not fall on deaf ears.

R. E. Fernando
Piliyandala