• Will join National Council, Sectoral Oversight Committees  
• PM says present hardships will remain for three more months   

By Kelum Bandara   

The ten- party alliance which initially refused to join the government decided at a meeting with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday that it would cooperate with the new rule participating in the proposed national council and parliamentary oversight committees, an official said.   

The national council, comprising leaders of all the parties, will be set up to advise the new government. Besides, the prime minister informed yesterday that he would establish 15 sectoral oversight committees to oversee the work of the ministries and invited the representatives of the ten-party alliance to participate in them.   

Pivithuru Hela Urumaya(PHU) leader MP Udaya Gammanpila who attended the meeting told Daily Mirror that the alliance agreed to cooperate with the new administration without taking up Cabinet posts. 

 
The prime minister briefed the meeting about the current status of the economy  and said current hardships would remain for about three more months before the economic takeoff starts. He said friendly countries and international organizations had ensured assistance to get over the crisis.   

Besides, Mr. Wickremesinghe assured that he would lead initiatives for the incorporation of the 21st Amendment to the Constitution to prune presidential powers since there were public agitations for it.