UNP challenges JHU on bribery charge

by Ananda Kannangara

The Opposition UNP has charged the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) for lying that certain UNP members had tried to bribe four of their MPs to topple the government at tomorrow's Budget voting.

UNP, General Secretary, Tissa Attanayaka said that he has called on the JHU to make a complaint at the Commission to Investigate Bribery and Corruption against any UNP member, if anybody has done so. Referring to a recent statement by the JHU, the UNP General Secretary said the Buddhist community will condemn a fabricated story, made by a bhikkhu of the calibre of Ven. Ellawala Medananda Thera".

The UNP, General Secretary also asked the JHU whether they too obtained money and perks from the government to accept the Environmental Ministerial portfolio.

Attanayaka said that the Opposition would vote against the Budget tomorrow, since it had not made any proposal to reduce the increasing cost-of-living which has badly hit the majority of downtrodden people.

He said the prices of flour, rice, onions, milk foods, fish and vegetable have skyrocketed and the ministers put the blame on the world market rather than taking measures to reduce them.

He said the JVP had no other alternative other than to oppose the Budget, since they have already condemned the Budget proposals from the day it was announced.