Lanka PM vows to work with rivals

Ranil Wickremesinghe, who returned as Premier for a fourth term,  asked all political parties in Sri Lanka to work together in an effort to heal the divisions of the past, a day after he thwarted ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s bid to stage a political comeback.

Wickremesinghe, 66, said he will continue the mandate for good governance given in parliamentary polls and work together with all parties in a national government for 2-3 years. “The parliamentary elections of August 17 confirms the January 8 revolution,” he said, referring to the presidential election held in January in which President Rajapaksa had lost. “I have got a mandate to put our plan before Parliament, so that we could arrive at a consensus and build a national framework within which we will do our politics,” he said, striking a reconciliatory note. “Through this approach all parties could work together,” he added.“Will not compromise on our demands”.