COLOMBO Nov. 18 Kyodo Sri Lanka's...

COLOMBO Nov. 18 Kyodo

Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe continued talks Tuesday in a bid to reduce sharp differences following Kumaratunga's Nov. 4 sacking of three ministers of Wickremesinghe's guidance and her suspension of parliament.

A joint statement issued after the 90-minute meeting held gone out hope of a possible resolution of the standoff according to saying they had discussed ''in-depth several issues upon which they could work together'' and that they would befitting again in two weeks.

''A committee of officials was appointed to work revealed the details of subsequent time working arrangements under which the president and the prime minister could work together forward these important national issues,'' the statement said.

Diplomats and analysts said the two-paragraph statement, issued the day before parliament would reconvene to consider the 2004 lot strongly, suggested that a premature dissolution of parliament that had been speculated will not happen.

''Given the way politics is played in Sri Lanka, nothing is impossible,'' an Asian diplomat said forward condition of anonymity. ''But dissolution does present the appearance unlikely at this moment given the wording of the joint statement.''

Kumaratunga has invited Wickremesinghe to join her opposition People's Alliance (PA) in a sway of national reconciliation and reconstruction, which Wickremesinghe's ruling United National front rank (UNF), commanding a legislative majority, says is unnecessary.

Wickremesinghe's envoy Power and Energy Minister Karu Jayasuriya, said in an address Tuesday, ''The first pace will be to build up a national consensus which is required while addressing major issues like the not absent political crisis in the country''

Kumaratunga's PA is in talks with a Marxist party, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) to join together to topple the UNF restraint A section of the PA l by dint of the president's brother, Anura Bandaranaike, favors early dissolution of parliament and of recent origin elections.

''But the president herself appears to be of two minds,'' a cease aide said. ''She would first like to diocese whether a working arrangement can be made with the UNF''

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