Fissures develop between UNP-CWC :

Thondaman decides to leave country

Due to conflict of opinions between Ceylon Workers' Congress leader Arumugam Thondaman and the UNP leadership, the former has decided to leave the island on a foreign tour, as understood by CWC inner circles.

This decision on the part of the CWC leader was a sequel to certain issues pertaining to the canvassing of the electioneering campaign of Presidential Candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe, as revealed by the same sources.

Inclusion of a photograph of R.Yogarajah on an election propaganda poster orginally planned to carry only the photographs of Ranil Wickremesinghe and Arumugam Thondaman is reported to be the bone of contention which infuriated the CWC leader to make a big row in Sirikotha, according to these sources.

Thondaman, having protested against the humiliation caused to him in this manner, has vehemently demanded to set ablaze the entire lot containing about 200,000 posters and has threatened serious consequences if this poster was released for distribution.

R. Yogaraja, when inquired denied any knowledge regarding this controversy.