Clarify your position, govt. challenges UNP
By Sunil Jayasiri
The government yesterday challenged UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and North Central Province UNP Chief Ministerial candidate Janaka Perera to clarify their positions on the war against terrorists given the contradictory views, they had expressed. This is a challenge. They should come to a common platform and explain their opinion on the current war against terrorists, Minister Dullas Alahapperuma told a news conference aimed at explaining the government s stand on the forthcoming Provincial Council elections.
Minister Alahapperuma said before being nominated as the Chief Ministerial candidate from the UNP Maj. Gen. Perera had claimed the LTTE could be defeated militarily.
But Mr. Wickremesinghe s opinion is completely different.
He maintains a completely opposite view. So how are they going to work together? the minister asked.
Minister Alahapperuma also claimed that Maj. Gen. Perera, being a former military commander, is trying to betray the war heroes, by contesting on the UNP ticket.
SLFP General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena told journalists that, the government could not stop the war and go for talks as demanded by Mr. Wickremesinghe.
We can go for talks only from a position of strength, he said.
That means GOVT has to talk with ltte to find a solution to ethnic problem from a position of strength. so now the war is waged to get that position of strength. but we have been told by this same govt there is no ethnic problem and there is only terrorist problem.I am confused totally what is govt's position on ethnic problem and ltte.
He also claimed the UNP had lost the election on the day nominations closed. There was no public support for the party and there was no UNP leadership during the filing of nominations for the North Central Province, he charged.
He also said the UNP s inability to nominate a Chief Ministerial candidate for Sabaragamuwa proved the crisis within the party. |