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Sri Lanka's Sirisena forms national govt with opposition


    COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena formed a national government that included the opposition Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) on Sunday in a bid to push through reforms and preserve political stability, a government spokesman said.

    Sirisena gave 26 members of the SLFP, his own former party, posts in his coalition with the aim of completing the reforms and then calling parliamentary elections, government spokesman Rajitha Senaratne told Reuters.

    After his election win in January, Sirisena formed a coalition with the United National party (UNP), but this lacked a parliamentary majority, obstructing his promise for constitutional and electoral reforms in the first 100 days of his election.

    (Reporting by Shihar Aneez; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)