Fifty rooms at Hilton Hotel in London for the President’s security

Friday, 08 June 2012

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has booked 50 rooms at the Hilton Hotel in London where he was residing during his visit to the UK to attend an economic forum organized by the Commonwealth Business Council. The rooms had been booked for the President’s security. Each room has been allocated to the families of SLFP members residing in the UK.

SLFP members living in London have therefore taken their families and settled themselves in rooms at the Hilton Hotel during the period.

The President after visiting the UK to attend the Queen’s 60th anniversary celebrations was to also deliver a speech at the economic forum organized in London by the Commonwealth Business Council. The speech was scheduled to be delivered on the 6th morning, but the organizers have decided on the 5th to cancel the session the President was to attend.

The session was held on the 6th afternoon after canceling the morning session, which the President was to attend.

The session was cancelled due to pressure from the Tamil Diaspora in the UK.

Hence, the President was engaged in a media circus on the 6th morning. MP Sajin Vass Gunawardena had asked all the SLFP families living at the hotel to stand outside the hotel carrying Sri Lankan flags. The media circus saw the President walking up to the people standing with Sri Lanka flags outside the hotel.

The President had to face a similar situation when he visited the UK in 2010 to address the Oxford Union.

However, a senior official at the Sri Lankan High Commission in the UK said that one day of the President’s visit to London had cost more than the monies allocated by the government for 2012 to maintain the High Commission and its staff.

He explained that apart from the Hilton Hotel, 35 rooms in adjoining hotels have also been booked for the President’s entourage during the UK visit.