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by Uditha Kumarasinghe

PA Media Spokesman Dr. Sarath Amunugama said the UNP turned into a minority Government on Thursday at the vote on the Electricity Reform Bill and was able to muster only 108 votes in Parliament which required 113 for a simple majority.

Even 108 included 10 votes of the TNA which has become a puppet of the LTTE. These 10 votes were also given after a back-door meeting where the Prime Minister was compelled into agreeing to review the PTA and remove certain sections of the PTA, Amunugama told the PA weekly media briefing yesterday.

" Therefore the UNP is on a path of destruction giving into the TNA blackmail in order to get even a small majority in parliament and function as a minority government. Today the Government has no large majority in parliament even among their members. They have obtained even this simple majority by collecting the votes of the SLMC, CWE and the TNA. Therefore the structure of the majority of the UNF Government is now changing," he said. He observed that the PA had no intention of going for an election and place difficulties on the people by putting another huge financial burden on the country.

But according to the change occurring in Parliament, there is a possibility of change to the existing situation in Parliament based on policy arrangements. Commenting on the PA's approach to the eastern problem, he said in the year 2000, the PA presented a constitution in parliament. Unfortunately it could not get the vote because the UNP sabotaged it at the last moment.

In that constitution, there is a reference to a referendum to be held in the eastern province and for the inhabitants of the eastern province to decide whether they would merge or form two different Provincial Councils.

Amunugama said this highlights the principal stand that the PA has taken. The first is that all the citizens of this country Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims must enjoy equal political, economic and social rights and also the Government is oblige to ensure the safety of life, and property of all these citizens.

This is the basic and fundamental promise of the PA.

He said we (PA) have always said that in these discussions with the LTTE, there must be an early settlement of the core issues. But the UNP had a deafening silence regarding to approach these core issues. Today we see the results of this silence.

" All over problems are cropping up because the muslim community, the Sinhala community and indeed the Tamil community in the eastern province do not know what is in store for them and the UNP is silent. This leads to lot of misunderstanding, lot of tension and also the constant intrusion of the LTTE beyond the agreement of the MoU."

He said We (PA) again backing the demands of the SLMC and the NUA that their views be heard and the Prime Minister should give them some assurance and makes known his policy on the eastern question. He has been absolutely silent on this subject and that is leading to a lot of problems in the east. If he continues this silence there will be many more problems in the east.

He said the PA having a principle stand regarding the eastern question. Our party has made it's position well known and even prepared a draft constitution. The problem is that the UNP is not making known it's position. They will have to say what their position on this matter. The UNP having a deafening silence regarding the main problem of this ethnic conflict.

PA MP Mangala Samaraweera said at present 114 votes of the UNP has been reduced to 104. In addition 15 TNA MPs in the UNP are also not in a one stand. They are making more and more demands to the Government through the LTTE who have turned into the sole agents of the LTTE. There is a tendency is reducing the UNP votes upto 98.

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