COLOMBO, Feb. 12 (Xinhuanet) -- Sri Lanka's ruling United NationalParty (UNP) led by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe who heads acaretaker government said on Thursday that it would call international poll monitors to supervise the April 2 parliamentaryelections.

    "In order to prevent major abuses and to ensure a free and fairpoll we intend inviting observers from the European Union, the Commonwealth and Japan," G.L. Peiris, constitutional affairs minister and government spokesman said.

    The country is to hold a snap parliamentary election four yearsahead of schedule as a result of President Chandrika Kumaratunga dissolving the Parliament last Saturday.

    Peiris described Kumaratunga's action as undemocratic and irresponsible which had dealt hard blows to the country's economy.

    The president, who heads the main opposition People's Alliance,took further action on Wednesday in which he dismissed Wickremesinghe's 39 junior ministers.

    "It was a gross abuse of her powers of office," Peiris said, referring to the sacking of junior ministers. It was a move by Kumaratunga in "pursuit of political power," he added.

    The president and the prime minister from the two bitterly opposed main political parties to each other were forced into an uneasy cohabitation since December 2001 when Kumaratunga's PA was defeated by Wickremesinghe's UNP in a snap parliamentary election.

    Political differences between the two leaders reached climax early last November when Kumaratunga fired three key ministers of the Wickremesinghe government and took the subjects under her.

    A committee of top aides from both leaders has attempted to reconcile the political differences to avoid an unprecedented political crisis, bul failed with Kumaratunga's dissolution of theparliament. Enditem