Sri Lanka's president stunned this island nation when she suspended Parliament, sacked three Cabinet ministers and deployed troops around the capital - moves that endanger the fragile peace process with Tamil Tiger rebels. President Chandrika Kumaratunga - who is commander of the armed forces and has considerable executive authority under the constitution - made the surprise power grab against her political rival, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, while he was in Washington to meet with President Bush. Wickremesinghe hit back, accusing Kumaratunga of endangering the government's bid to end two decades of civil war on this tropical island off the southern tip of India.

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