SAARC opening new vistas for Lanka

Opposition attempting to gain political mileage by undermining SAARC:

COLOMBO: The UPFA charged yesterday that both the UNP and the JVP were engaged in an attempt to undermine the forthcoming SAARC summit as a tactic to gain cheap political mileage in the face of impending PC elections.

The Alliance Polls Campaigning Centre in a message said both these parties were facing political bankruptcy and were resorting to attacking whichever was in their path as they had run out of ideas to win back the peoples’ attention.

The UPFA pointed out the the failed July 10 token strike which was rejected by the people as one such attempt by these two parties to boost their dwindling fortunes.

The UPFA questioned the motives behind this virulent campaign. Citing enhanced bi-lateral ties, trade agreements, reputation, tourism etc. as direct results of the upcoming summit, the UPFA questioned why these two parties who profess national interest as their main goal were against these gains.

The UNP’s recent initiatives suggest that they are working against the National interest as they have resorted to a slanderous campaign abroad to prevent foreign aid from coming, sighting Sri Lanka as a failed state.

The JVP too has joined the band wagon by launching a virulent attack against India which amply demonstrate their lack of sensitivity in international affairs, the release said.

Thus these forces were resorting to unsubstantiated allegations based on cost and the impact of the event just to make it a topic to attack the Government, the UPFA alleged.

They pointed out that it was the 1975 Non Aligned Summit held under the then Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike which opened doors for foreign employment opportunities for Lankans in the Middle East region.

Since then all international events on the Lankan soil has opened up new vistas in many spheres, the release pointed out. Thus despite Opposition the Government would do its utmost to make the forthcoming summit a success, the release said.

If it was the National interest these parties had in mind, it was their duty to support the event without resorting to mere mudslinging campaigns to divert attention, the UPFA said.