Archives

by Jayaweera Sugathapala, Attanagalla special corr. :

If the UNP which has entered into a secret pact with four Tamil parties subscribing to a division of the country at the instance of the LTTE, wins the forthcoming election by any fluke it will be Prakbaharan and not Ranil who will ultimately become the Prime Minister of this country, warned former Speaker and PA leader in the Gampaha District Anura Bandaranaike, when he addressed PA activists in Attanagalla at a meeting held at the residence of Provincial Councillor Ananda Rupasinghe recently.

Bandaranaike said the MoU the UNP had signed with the Tamil parties is a most dangerous agreement. One of its clauses is said to be the de-proscription of the LTTE in the event of a UNP victory. Even the JVP had challenged the UNP leader to divulge this secret pact to the nation but he had failed to do so up to now.

Bandaranaike said that this showed that the sole desire of the UNP Leader Ranil was to satisfy his greed for power even through a division of the country.

Describing the forthcoming general election as an unwanted election Bandaranaike emphasised that the people had given the PA a six year mandate at the previous general election held last year. "If such mandate is undermined through the buying over of MPs it may sound the death knell to Parliamentary Democracy.

Bandaranaike alleged that certain individuals who gained powerful Ministerial posts in the PA government by moving closely with the President and enjoyed all perks and privileges and built palaces for themselves have betrayed the party and joined hands with the UNP. They were now trying to defame the President by insulting her with the most filthiest language.

Those who siphoned off the savings of innocent Samurdhi recipients, earned Commissions through the distribution of textile quotas and felling valuable forest cover had crossed over to the UNP, but the masses of Hanguranketha, Moratuwa and Devinuwara had not abandoned the PA.

Bandaranaike who said that he had never earned any illgotton money while being in the UNP said the party gave each candidate only Rs. 100,000 during the last general election. But now the UNP was giving nearly Rs. 300 to Rs. 400 million to each candidate through funds provided by Bank defaulters, bookmakers and the LTTE.

Bandaranaike who alleged that the UNP is engaged in a conspiracy against the people it was only last week that the LTTE despatched a suicide bomber to target the Prime Minister. "Now the President and himself were also in the LTTE hit list. If anyone of them were killed the UNP should take the entire blame," he further said.

The President always left the door open for them for negotiations. It is the UNP which spurned negotiations with the LTTE by its failure to sign a joint appeal for the LTTE to enter a dialogue, Bandaranaike said.

Bandaranaike said if the UNP which had entered into a secret pact with the four Tamil parties wins the next election its rule will be more oppressive than the previous UNP period of rule. The 17 year period of UNP oppression is still fresh in the minds of the people and as such the PA will definitely win the forthcoming election too.

Former Minister Lakshman Jayakody said Anura Bandaranaike's re-entry into the SLFP had further boosted the party's prospects throughout the country.

Gampaha District PA candidate Chandana Jayakody, Sanjaya Siriwardena and Namal Gunawardena, Provincial Council member Ranjith Ananda Rupasinghe and several others also spoke.

A large number of PA, Urban Council and Pradesheeya Sabha members in the Gampaha district and PA activists in Nittambuwa, Kongasdeniya, Napagoda and Kalalpitiya attended the meeting.

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager