Converting MRIA into a museum:

Azwer takes a swipe at UNP Gen Secy

by Uditha Kumarasinghe

UPFA parliamentarian A.H.M. Azwer said when people go mad they make ludicrous statements like UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake when he said that the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) would be converted into a museum under a future UNP government.

In the first instance, I don’t think the UNP would capture power during our life time. Even UNP politicians had condemned such ridiculous statements by their party General Secretary, Azwer told the Sunday Observer.

He said the MRIA is a boon to Sri Lanka in socio-economic development. Most countries have built a second runway. The MRIA is a gigantic project launched under the Mahinda Chintana vision for the future”. It has heralded a new era in the country’s aviation history.

After setting up a second international airport, the Mahinda Chintana aims at upgrading its Naval and Aviation services. The MRIA would be a convenient point of departure for Haj pilgrims visiting Mecca.

If the Mattala Airport is to be converted into a museum by a future UNP Government as claimed by Tissa Attanayake, the UNP has many historical figures such as its leader and Party Secretary himself to be displayed in the museum.

The UNP has already set a world record having lost 20 consecutive elections. At present most of its senior politicians have quit the party or joined the Government.

In some countries, there are museums such as Madame Tussauds, popularly known as the Wax Museum in London which is a major tourist attraction. It displays waxworks of historical and royal figures, film and sports icons.

In Sri Lanka, however, all obstreperous UNPers could be kept in the museum. There is no doubt that Tissa Attanayake and other UNP leaders will also have to seek refuge in this museum, he said.