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Chandrika's estranged brother elected speaker

The resolution, providing for extension of emergency by a month, was passed by 113 to 19 votes with main opposition United National Party members abstaining. PA, which emerged as the single largest group in the just-concluded parliamentary polls, has 107 MPs in the 225-member House.

Earlier in a surprise development, Bandaranaike, a bitter critic of Chandrika, was unanimously elected speaker of the 11th parliament. His name was proposed by Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake and seconded by opposition leader Ranil Wickramasinghe.

The 51-year-old Bandaranaike, who quit the Sri Lanka Freedom Party after losing a succession battle with Chandrika in 1993, has been elected on an UNP ticket. He has been leading the party's campaign against his sister's government for six years.

Former army spokesman Major Gen (retd) Sarath Moonasinghe, elected on a PA ticket, was unanimously elected deputy speaker.

Meanwhile, the state radio reported that the new cabinet would be sworn in on Thursday.

The new cabinet is expected to be 40-member strong and would constitute members from the SLFP and its allies in the PA, which emerged as the largest group in the just-concluded parliamentary polls.

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