Govt. spends Rs. 500 m to secure 2,000 votes!

 Monday, 08 December 2014 14:48Category: General

The extent of the government’s political bankruptcy is evident by its having spent Rs. 500 million to get the support of a person like Tissa Attanayake, who does not have even 2,000 votes of his own, a group of businessmen at Digana in Kundasale electorate of Kandy district told ‘Lanka News Web.’

People of Kundasale, Attanayake’s electorate, are lighting firecrackers to celebrate the UNP’s freeing from his clutches, said these businessmen as well as UNP voters in Kundasale.

‘Sold himself before losing UNP party position!’

“Had Tissa Attanayake not given the way to a Muslim candidate at the 2010 general election and got himself appointed to parliament on the national list, he would not have been in even a Pradeshiya Sabha by now. Attanayake glowed with the general secretary position, but the general secretary position did not glow due to him. So, what Attanayake did was to sell himself before losing that position. When the former UNP general secretaries are considered, Tissa is a frog in the well. Leaving alone in English, can he express an idea clearly in Sinhala to go in line with the party’s vision?,” people of Digana asked to the sound of lighting firecrackers.

tissa Exits

By Zahrah Imtiaz and Rathindra Kuruwita-2014-12-09

United National Party (UNP) General Secretary Tissa Attanayake tendered his letter of resignation to Party Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe at Sirikotha yesterday (8).
In his letter of resignation, he said he was leaving the party due to the plots against him by Malik Samarawickrama, Ravi Karunanayake and Mangala Samaraweera. He added that these men have repeatedly attempted to destroy the unity in the party brought about by the Ranil Wickremesinghe -Sajith Premadasa alliance and they had continuously attempted to undermine him.
"I was not even properly informed of the recently formed Opposition alliance, although I was the General Secretary of the Party. I can't continue supporting this alliance as it is against my conscience and the desire of the UNPers," he said in his letter.
Attanayake added that the decision to field Maithripala Sirisena, as the common Opposition candidate, was against the wishes of UNPers.

Attanayake met President Rajapaksa later at Temple Trees and is expected to be given a ministerial portfolio. He added that in the past, a representative of the leading political party in an alliance, was elected the leader of such an alliance.
"This is because the main role of assuring the victory of the alliance lies with the main political party. When we chose Sirisena, we did so based on three conditions. The first was handing over the powers of the executive to Ranil Wickremesinghe within 24 hours, the second was appointing Sirisena as the common Opposition candidate, only after he secures the crossing over of 20-25 UPFA MPs and the third was assuring that he will amend the Constitution in 100 days. However, so far Sirisena has not given such assurances," he said.

Commenting on his departure, UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said that he told Attanayake that he was making a mistake by leaving the party.
"I told him that he was making a mistake and that I am sorry he took the decision. Maithripala Sirisena represents the proud traditions of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and I represent the tradition of the United National Party (UNP). This does not change the fact that we will win the election," he said.
Last week Attanayake denied rumours that he will be crossing over to the government. Addressing a UNP district organizers' meeting on 26 November he said, "The hardcore UNP members cannot be bought for money and the government cannot buy me over. My conscience cannot be bought for money." He then complained that many web based media organizations had been spreading rumours that he was offered Rs 500 million to join the government.