Ranil takes wing on dubious tour
 Opposition and UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe is scheduled to make
another controversial tour of Europe. Local political sources said the
main aim of his European tour is to hold discussions with several
Scandinavian officials on the situation in Sri Lanka and a strategy to
save the LTTE leadership now trapped in Mullaitivu.
In a desperate attempt to exert more international pressure on the
Government to go for a ceasefire with the LTTE terrorists.
Wickremesinghe intends to paint a gloomy picture of Sri Lanka to the
international community. Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage said the
Opposition Leader appears to be playing a new role as the international
spokesman for the LTTE terrorists. “I have pointed this out in
Parliament too. It was Anton Balansingham who campaigned for the LTTE
internationally in the past. Since his death, the LTTE got Siva
Pasupathi to do that job. But since their international campaign got
weakened, the LTTE has got Wickremsesinghe to act as their international
spokesman,” the Minister said.
Minister Aluthgamage said the UNP leader, who has lost 19 elections
in a row, including two Presidential elections, is making desperate
attempts to get political mileage and regain power at any cost.
“Wickremesinghe is responsible for the current international pressure
that is mounting and calls for a ceasefire. Over the past several
months, the UNP leader has been globe trotting tarnishing the image of
our country and discrediting our Security Forces which have been doing a
commendable job. The Opposition Leader has done a considerable damage to
the country,” he said.
He added that the UNP leader could not win the confidence of the
eighty odd Parliamentarians elected at the last General Election. He has
only 43 remaining in the UNP and out of that, 23 MPs are supporting the
Security Forces’ current humanitarian operation. “The UNP is now
divided. But their leader is still playing his old game and making
desperate attempts to hang on to the top seat of the party,” the
Minister added.
Minister Aluthgamage said all loyal, patriotic and peace-loving
citizens, irrespective of their political affiliations, should reject
this type of opportunities.
“I am sure Wickremesinghe is on another dubious mission to discredit
the country, slow down military operations and save Prabhakaran.
People would teach a good lesson to such politicians at the next
general and Presidential elections,” he concluded.
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