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| Monday, 12 July 2004 |
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Anura on recent London visit Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment Promotion, Anura Bandaranaike replying to a Sunday Newspaper in which his recent visit to London was referred, has issued the following statement to the media. It says: "Sunday Times of June 27 refers to my visit to London recently as "jet-dash" and "couldn't catch his breath". The visit to London was pre-arranged several weeks before which negates your semi-dramatic remarks. You state in your article that I took "an official entourage" with me, whilst I only took the Secretary to my Ministry and one (1) security officer. If this is an official entourage, you are still probably, living in the era of Ranil Wickremesinghe. Wake up Old Boy! It is a new government and a new era whether you like it or not, elected by a majority of 700,000 people." "I met the tour operators of the United Kingdom at several meetings and gave them my fullest encouragement to increase their arrival numbers from 96,000 to 110,000 this year because your erstwhile Mr. Wickremesinghe's defeated, dejected and leaderless party has been desperately running a subtle campaign to prevent investors and travellers coming to Sri Lanka from the UK who are more than keen to come here and invest in large scale projects. "You state in the "Times" that I have deliberately been left out of the ceremony of the passing out of my niece, Yosodhara. I never had any intention of going to the ceremony and informed the President to take any one of her choice. A part of my visit to London was to join the Bandaranaike family that has produced three Prime Ministers of Sri Lanka, three leaders of the opposition, four Ministers of the Cabinet, twice elected President of the Republic, a Speaker of Parliament and the first female Prime Minister of the world and now produced a brilliant young doctor." Minister Banadranaike in his statement further adds the entire Bandaranaike family shared the joy of my sister Chandrika and Yasodhara, brought up by her mother single handedly after her father's death. And you journalists through endless envy have to make a mockery of a proud event of one of Asia's unique families". "I had informed the BoI that I will not be available during the visit of the Singaporean Prime Minister weeks ahead. Those responsible for placing my name on the invitation cards will be dealt with shortly. I refer to this only because of your absurd remarks about my so-called absence during Premier Goh's visit to Sri Lanka." "You say that seven Brits only attended the dinner hosted by me at the "Churchill" in London for tour operators in the UK. The figure was very much more and the Sri Lanka High Commission will provide you with the correct figures if necessary. If there was a drop at all, it was entirely due to UK verses Portugal football event in Lisbon which was a major event for the English people." 'You attempt to compare my appointment of the new BoI Chairman, Saliya Wickremasuriya who holds a unique record of achievement for a young man." Ranil Wickremesinghe's appointees of Royalist classmates, all on sundry who were chiefly responsible or the ending of his very brief interregnum! My appointees are honourable, dedicated, intelligent men who happen to come to Royal College, not classmates who are questionable or political and business wheeler dealers who ruined this nation and their classmate! As an old Royalist, you and your brother Ruwan, know well that there are good, mediocre and horrible royalists. Ranil went for the last two brands and I went for the first. I go only for the best. Like President John F. Kennedy I go for the best and the brightest, irrespective of the school they attended. Ranil Wickremesinghe and his brand of followers can learn a thing or two from me. You accuse me of wasting government funds abroad. My ministry only paid for my official stay of four days which involved several meetings with tour and investment personnel. Thereafter during my stay in London I paid for all my bills on my own. This may be verified from my Ministry or from Sri Lanka High Commission in the UK. You state that Mr. Harry Jayawardena has a tight grip on me and runs my ministries. No one has any grip tight or not on me or my ministries. I run my ministries the way I wish under the guidance of the President. Mr. Jayawardena is an old and trusted friend and one of this country's most successful businessmen and I will seek his advice as and when necessary which is no business of yours. Finally though on a fine newspaper and an admired editor, at present you and your journal is in close competition with Wickramatunga and his wretched and warped Sunday Leader for the contest of being the worst newspaper on a Sunday. I have known you and your brother for 40 odd years from the days at Royal College. You are capable for great and decent journalism and you work for a Chairman, for whom I have great personal regard. Do not allow yourself for the times to become a spokesman for a man who has lost over a dozen elections and still survives only because there is no replacement, a lack lustre, an unvenable person who leads a broken, dejected, defeated and demoralised band of "rouge" elephants who do not have a chance in hell of ever coming back to power! Not even his amiable uncle or his talented schoolmate can save him! So don't waste your time!!", the statement said. |
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