SB speaks of conspiracy against him

ANANDA KANNANGARA

Central Provincial Council Opposition Leader and ex-Parliamentarian S.B. Dissanayake yesterday blamed certain people who are closely associated with the UNP leadership for trying to assassinate him politically and tarnish his image by making unethical statements to the media.

Referring to a recent article in a Sinhala weekend newspaper, Dissanayake denied any conspiracy he had conceived with MP Rukman Senanayake to oust UNP stalwart, Sajith Premadasa, MP.

He also denied any secret discussions he was supposed to have had with President Mahinda Rajapaksa for a crossover to the Government.

He called this move by the group was to destroy the UNP forever.

"As we are aware the UNP had lost 16 elections at a stretch, it is still our duty to strengthen the party," he said. Dissanayake said he had no dispute with party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and said that the so-called persons who had obtained various perks and portfolios during the tenure of the UNP is now trying to sling mud at him to fulfil the needs of certain politicians in the UNP and the Government.

"Due to my personal efforts our party was able to obtain an overwhelming majority of preferential votes from last month's Provincial Council elections," he said.

Asked to comment about the ceasefire agreement with the LTTE, Dissanayake said the Government should not go for any agreement until the LTTE lays down arms, but insisted that the Government must go for a political solution as early as possible to achieve a lasting solution to the national crisis.

He also urged the Government to go for a package of devolution of power.