Colombo: Contrary to expectations, Sirima Bandaranaike, the doughty widow who announced her retirement as prime minister last week, has refused to give up reins of her Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP).

At a crucial meeting of the SLFP on Thursday, the party's key post of general secretary was up for grabs and observers expected Bandaranaike, 84, to give up her position as the party's president.

But the wheelchair-ridden Bandaranaike retained the job, although she had said in her August 9 letter of resignation as prime minister that ill-health was forcing her to "quietly withdraw from the humdrum of busy political life to a more tranquil and quiet environment."

Her son Anura, a key opposition member, had charged this week, that Bandaranaike, three times prime minister, was forced to resign against her wishes by her daughter and president Chandrika Kumaratunga.

Bandaranaike had, in her letter, also said that she was making way for a strong, frontline candidate who could represent the party at the coming parliamentary elections.

However, being involved with the affairs of the party her husband founded will be anything but tranquil for Bandaranaike on the eve of the November elections.

Party sources said there was intense rivalry for the election of the powerful general secretary's post, which fell vacant following the sudden death of Tourism and Aviation Minister Dharmasiri Senanayake.

The victor, Sports Minister S. B. Dissanayake, is seen as a stalwart of President Kumaratunga. He is expected to reinforce Kumaratunga's grip on the party to which both are latecomers. Kumaratunga is said to have wanted Dissanayake chosen unanimously but had to face vociferous opposition to the proposal.

Dissanayake has taken on the role of Kumaratunga's main spokesman and is seen and heard regularly on television and radio playing this part. He is reported to have lost at an initial show of hands vote to Mahaweli (River) Irrigation Minister Maithripala Sirisena, but won with 16 votes to his rival's 12 in a second secret ballot, officials said.

The defeated Sirisena was the candidate of choice for the party's old guard and his trouncing, and Bandaranaike's "forced retirement" as prime minister, is seen as a blow for SLFP veterans.

Dissanayake told state television in a victory speech: "I want to restore discipline and turn the SLFP into an efficient party under a scientific management system."

India Abroad News Service

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