Attanayake's statement contradictory of MoU between SLFP and UNP

COLOMBO: SLFP General Secretary Maitripala Sirisena, in a letter addressed to UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake yesterday criticised the latter for his recent statement at Kataragama which was published in the Lankadeepa newspaper of December 4, calling upon the Government to dissolve Parliament and go for a General Election.

The SLFP General Secretary's letter stated that as he understood the news report, the UNP after its intended reorganisation in January next year would be ready for any form of elections and challenged the Government to dissolve the Parliament and hold a general election.

He drew the UNP General Secretary's attention to the MoU recently adopted between the UNP and the SLFP and reminded him that the MoU which was signed by UNP President Malik Samarawickrema and by himself agreed to abide by the conditions of agreement and that Tissa Attanayake's purported statement published in the Lankadeepa newspaper is contradictory of the MoU and wished to know whether the MoU is valid any longer.

Minister Maitripala Sirisena urged the UNP General Secretary to elucidate the UNP stance and added that the SLFP, which won 14 successive elections in the past will not find difficulty to win the 15th one.