UNP abstention a treacherous act - UNP Democratic Group

COLOMBO: The UNP-Democratic Group yesterday lashed out at the main UNP for abstaining at the Emergency vote in Parliament calling it a treacherous act.

Issuing a media release, UNP (DG) media spokesman R. A. D. Sirisena said the democratic group of the United National Party at their group meeting at the Parliamentary Complex yesterday discussed at length the current developments particularly focusing on the country’s security situation.

They expressed their dissatisfaction and dismay regarding the UNP’s decision to abstain from voting at the debate for the extension of Emergency which act they felt as both irresponsible and treacherous.

They felt it was unbecoming of a political party which has an iota of feeling for the Nation.

They also resolved to commend Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa for his bravery and farsighted leadership which has resulted in weakening the LTTE and liberating the people of the North and East from their despotic rule.

They also noted with satisfaction the successive victories the Security Forces have so far achieved in spite of minor setbacks and expressed hope that the weakening of the LTTE would pave way for a negotiated settlement on the basis of southern consensus.

They regretted the UNP’s stand on these matters under its current leadership and raised doubts as to whether they were acting as proxy to the LTTE.

They also discussed Edward Goonesekera’s decision to rejoin the UNP and noted that it was his personal decision and it has nothing to do with the group and it was well in line with the principle on which the Democratic Group functions.

It is up to an individual to decide his own course of action. There will be no compulsion whatsoever by the group on anybody to take any decision against their conscious, they noted.

They also resolved to extend their fullest co-operation to President Mahinda Rajapaksa in his fight against terrorism and building a southern consensus for a political solution to the ethnic issue.

They commended the President’s initiative in getting the topic of ‘fight against terrorism’ high on the SAARC agenda and the commitment of South Asian leaders to have a co-ordinated effort to combat terrorism.

They also evaluated the outcome of the recently concluded Janatha Sathkaraka Sevaya under the guidance of the group’s leader Karu Jayasuriya, Minister of Public Administration and Home Affairs and noted that the programme was one positive way of making the country’s administration people oriented and people friendly and decided to extend the coverage of the programme to rest of the districts.