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DATE=10/13/2000

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=LANKA/PRIME MINISTER

NUMBER=2-267878

BYLINE=VANDANA CHOPRA

FATELINE=COLOMBO

CONTENT=EDS. PLEASE WATCH CN WIRE AND UPDATE INTRO WHEN SWEARING-IN CEREMONY TAKES PLACE.

VOICED AT:

INTRO: Ratnasiri Wickramanayake of the ruling Peoples Alliance will be/has been

sworn in as Sri Lankas new Prime Minister . And as Vandana Chopra reports

from Colombo President Chandrika Kumaratunga has called on her own party to

form the new government after it won the largest share of seats in this week's parliamentary election..

TEXT: Ratnasiri Wickramanayake was the new Prime Minister in the outgoing Peoples

Alliance government after he replaced former Premier Sirimavo Bandaranaike.

Mrs. Bandaranaike, who was the first woman ever to hold a prime ministerial post,

died on election day after casting her ballot.

It is still not clear when the entire cabinet will be announced, because the

country is in mourning following the former prime ministers death.

Meanwhile President Chandrika Kumaratunga has invited her Peoples Alliance

party to from the new government even though they are short of an absolute

majority.

In an address on state television, President Kumaratunga said since the

Peoples Alliance was the largest party in parliament, she had no choice but

to invite them to form the government.

The ruling Peoples Alliance has 107 seats in the 225 member parliament.

But the alliance has pledges of support from the largely Muslim National

Unity Alliance, and from the Eelam People's Democratic Party, a former

Tamil militant group that has moved to the island nation's political mainstream.

At the same time, however, the main opposition United National Party is also trying to form a new

government. The U-N-P is trying to gather support from minority parties which have won seats.

Tuesdays parliamentary elections were marred by vote rigging and

violence. Independent reports spoke of serious election violations from more than 210

polling centers. (SIGNED) .

NEB/VC/PFH