UNP leader well poised to celebrate 20th defeat - Engineering Services Minister

Uditha Kumarasinghe

Construction and Engineering Services Minister Dr.Rajitha Senaratne declared yesterday that the UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe will be able to celebrate his 20th defeat by the end of this year.

Minister Senaratne requested the UNPers to rally round politicians like S.B.Dissanayake to safeguard the UNP. "I wish S.B.Dissanayake will have the necessary strength and courage to take the UNP on the proper path", the Minister told a media briefing held at the Mahaweli Centre, Colombo yesterday.

The UNP leadership will not rectify the shortcomings of the party until he suffers his next defeat. "This is the nature of the UNP leadership. He always tries to win elections with the support of the international community and foreigners.

Therefore, the UNP under the leadership of Ranil Wickremesinghe will be a Liberal Party very soon", he said.

Ranil Wickremesinghe achieved his 17th successive defeat at this Eastern Provincial Council Election. The intention of the UNP was to prevent the conduct of the Eastern Provincial Council Election. Later, the UNP joined hands with the SLMC and said they will win the election. Finally, the UNP understood that they cannot win the election, he said.

The LTTE helped the UNP's victory by conducting various terrorists acts in Amapara and Trincomalee. The UNP, SLMC and TNA joined hands for the victory of the UNP. Finally, the TNA also learned a good lesson, he said.

According to Minister Senaratne, the JVP could muster only one seat. The JVP's slogan at the Provincial Council Election campaign was to defeat separatism. But it is the JVP which is now divided.

CAFFE is an organisation which is entirely biased towards the UNP. Therefore, we categorically deny the statements made by the CAFFE on the Eastern Provincial Council Election, he said.

"We are happy Pilliyan could enter mainstream politics in two years which Prabhakaran could not do even after 20 years," the Minister added.