UNP (D) firmly behind Milinda

MOHAMMED NAALIR

The UNP Democratic Group yesterday assured its fullest support to defeat the No-Confidence Motion tabled in Parliament against Tourism Minister Milinda Moragoda.

Addressing the media at Seth Sevana, Investment Promotion Minister Navin Dissanayake said the No-Confidence Motion submitted against Moragoda could be defeated very easily.

He said the D group wanted the debate on this No Confidence Motion taken in Parliament at the earliest.

“We are ready to face any No-Confidence Motion. There are 17 members in the UNP Democratic Group and all are firmly behind Minister Moragoda.”

Dissanayake said so far No-Confidence Motions have been tabled in Parliament against Lakshman Senaviratne, Mervyn Silva and Mahinda Ratnatillake. The debate on these No-Confidence Motions too should be taken up in Parliament soon, he said.

The team under the leadership of Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe have submitted this No-Confidence Motion against Moragoda without consulting the Political Affairs, Central or Executive Committee of the UNP, Dissanayake said.

The Minister said Wickremesinghe is taking arbitrary decisions without consulting the party’s rank and file.

Construction and Engineering Services Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne said another 17 UNP Parliamentarians are set to join the D group to defeat the No-Confidence Motion against Moragoda.

He said when a No-Confidence Motion is submitted to Parliament, a large number of Parliamentarians who are signatories are included in the Order Paper. But in this No-Confidence Motion only the names of Sripathi Sooriarachchi, Mangala Samaraweera and Dilip Wedaarachchi appear.

Senaratne said the No-Confidence Motion was based on two allegations. One was with regard to a swindle by Mercantile Credit Limited and the other to the privatisation of Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation and Lanka Marine.

Mercantile Credit Limited was liquidated in 1991. The Director Board was dissolved in 1992. All obligations have been met after the dissolution of the company.

Three internationally reputed audit firms conducted investigations into the swindle and its final findings was that Moragoda or his family did not receive even a single cent from Mercantile Credit Limited funds.

Senaratne said the UNP tried to topple the Government using various means but everything ended in failure.

The UNP is losing its support. If an election was held the UNP will be defeated by a large majority, Senaratne added.