Ranil does a Kekille

COLOMBO: The Maharoof-Moragoda saga in the CMC nominations imbroglio has taken a new turn with the party leadership deciding to penalise two private secretaries of the latter, a decision which partly insiders say is akin to the famous "Kekille" indictments of yore.

The two private secretaries of Milinda Moragoda, Collure and W.M. Tennakoon are to be removed from their posts and sent to the USA, UNP party sources said adding that the duo have been made scapegoats for the blunder of their employer who is a close confident of the UNP leader.

This is a clear case of punishing the small people instead of going for the main culprits, a peculiar trait of the UNP, the sources added.

According to these UNP sources, the final report of the disciplinary committee headed by former treasurer of the UNP, Milroy Perera and the Executive Member of the UNP Mahinda Haradasa, which was handed over to party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe last week.

It has clearly stated that the whole dramatic episode of the CMC issue stemmed from the devious machinations of former Minister of Public Utilities Mohammed Maharoof and Milinda Moragoda.

The report also recommended maximum punishment for both following the rejection of UNP's nomination list for the Colombo Municipal Council poll and the removal of the name of the CMC member and UNP stalwart T. M. Sanghadasa from the list, UNP sources confirmed.

But as usual, the UNP leader who backs out from taking disciplinary action against his own party members has decided to throw dust in the eyes of party faithfuls in giving the episode a different twist.

Meanwhile, the chances of the UNP retaining the coveted CMC has considerably receded following the seeds of discord sown among the party rank and file by the reckless act of the Maharoof-Moragoda duo in including an under-aged candidate by the name of Dikwella Muthukumarana Palanchige Supun Lakmal, a 17 year student which led to the rejection of the Colombo District list with 58 other party candidates.

However, more than 4.7 million UNP voters who cast their vote for the party is anxiously waiting to witness the outcome of the latest decision of the party leader in the days to come.