‘Ranil undermined Gamini’s presidential bid’

‘When late Gamini Dissanayake contested the 1994 Presidential election as the UNP candidate it was Ranil Wickremesinghe who undermined his campaign by disclosing his election strategies to People’s Alliance candidate Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, alleged Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena addressing a UPFA election rally held at Siripura, Polonnaruwa on Monday. As such can any UNP supporter who honoured and respected late Gamini Dissanayake vote for the UNP led by Ranil at the forthcoming Provincial Council election, asked Minister Sirisena who asked all UNPers who honoured late Gamini Dissanayake to vote for the UPFA led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Minister Sirisena said all UNPers should also remember that it was President Mahinda Rajapaksa who eliminated the cruel LTTE terrorists who took the life of Gamini Dissanayake.

Minister Sirisena said a crisis within the UNP had caused the dismemberment of the party today. Ranil Wickremesinghe recently summoned his rubber stamp UNP Working Committee and extended the term of party president for six years.

‘The party rank and file had already criticized this undemocratic move. Therefore, the UNP had no right to point an accusing finger against the government when it did not practise democracy within its own ranks.

‘Perhaps Ranil Wickremesinghe may be trying out the tactics of his uncle J.R. Jayewardene who threatened to roll up the electoral map of Sri Lanka sometime ago.

Referring to the JVP, Minister Sirisena said the party which enjoyed its summer in 2004 by getting 39 members elected to Parliament ruined its prospects by taking politically wrong and disastrous decisions later.

Minister Sirisena said the Provincial Council elections were held not merely to elect a group of members but to show the world especially countries

and forces arraigned against our nation that the ordinary people of this country fully backed the policies adopted by President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his government for their future welfare and progress. The one and only objective of Eelamists and their supporters here and abroad who aspired to establish a separate state in Sri Lanka was to defeat the Rajapaksa government. That was why anyone should think twice before voting for the UNP, he added.