Digambaram sits as Independent

Ready to consider Govt request:

Chaminda PERERA

National Union of Workers Party leader P. Digambaram who contested the last General Election under the UNP ticket yesterday decided to remain as an independent member in Parliament.

He arrived at this decision after UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe failed to allocate a National list slot to his party as agreed upon before the General election.

Speaking at a press briefing at Global Towers in Colombo, Digambaram said he will vote for all Acts which are brought before Parliament that are in the public interest.

Digambaram obtained the highest number of preference votes under the UNP from the Nuwara Eliya district and is among the two members who were elected to Parliament from the district. Digambaram said the Tamil people have lost confidence in UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe.

He said that he will never re-join the UNP which failed to keep its promise.

Replying to a journalist's query whether he would cross over to the Government in the backdrop of the UNP's failure to allocate a National List slot to his party, Digambaram said he is prepared to take a decision with the consent of his party if such a request is made by the Government.

However, he stressed that he had not received such a request from the Government nor any other party yet. "UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has let down the Tamil people and they will never believe leaders such as Wickremesinghe," he added.