Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told the Government Parliamentary Group meeting held at the Parliamentary Complex yesterday that only Police Officers attached to the VIP Security Unit will be deployed in future to provide security to Ministers and MPs.

The Government has taken this decision after considering the nature of threats posed in providing security to Ministers and MPs.

The Prime Minister told the group that certain Ministers and MPs had asked for Army Security instead of Police Security. However the deployment of Army support orf providing security to Ministers and MPs in the past has resulted in the politicisation of the Army.

This has been clearly proved by incidents such as the bomb throwing incident at the Diyawadana Nilame's official residence and Udatalawinna incidents. Such situations had brought the Army's role into question. The Athurugiriay Investigation too happened in this background.

However it was possible to take suitable action through the invervention of Ministers Tilak Marapana and John Amaratunga.

The Prime Minister said it is to ensure the protection of the country that the Army was improved and strengthened since 1983 by providing the facilities needed. The Army should therefore be protected and safeguarded without allowing politics to creap into it. The Prime Minister said politics has not spread among a majorith section of the Army. Therefore politics should not be allowd to spread like a cancer .

The Prime Minister said the Army Commander has apologised to the Mahanayake Theras regarding the recent Army-Police clash in Kandy and this was a step in the right direction.