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by Prasad Gunewardene

Last week, the UNP Parliamentarian, Mohamed Maharoof, at the centre of the controversy over 'tippexing' the CMC nomination list discovered a "Goni-billa" and "Sevalayas" in his own United National Party.

This discovery was made at "Sucharitha", the heart of the Premadasa bastion in Hultsdorp. Of course, Maharoof identified the gonibilla as Sirisena Cooray who was seated on his right. Cooray was known as a "Goni-billa" during the 1988-89 period where thousands of youth disappeared from homes under the Premadasa administration.

Addressing a UNP meeting at "Sucharitha" flanked Cooray and Milinda Moragoda, an enraged Maharoof yelled that some sevalayas in the UNP had intitated an inquiry against him and Moragoda accusing them of tampering with the CMC nomination list.

This inquiry was initiated by none other than Ranil Wickremesinghe, the UNP leader. While Moragoda looked patient and calm, Maharoof screamed that there were some sevalayas in the party who feared Cooray's re-entry thinking Cooray was a "Goni-billa".

"I challenge those 'sevalayas' who started that inquiry to come to Sucharitha with that report and disclose the contents. Until we chase those 'Sevalayas' from the party, we can never prosper", Maharoof declared. The story of the "Sevalayas" spread quickly that night within the rank and file of the UNP.

The Ravi-Rajitha faction backed by S. B. Dissanayake were heard in discussion as to whom the reference was made to. Since Ranil Wickremesinghe intitated the inquiry on the CMC crisis, they are of the view that Maharoof would have obviously referred to the 'top'. It's now a big challenge for the UNP leader to resolve this fresh crisis.

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