Govt. trying to arrest UNP MPs - Ranil
by Saman Indrajith-
May 22, 2013, 10:19 pm
UNP and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said, in Parliament yesterday, that the government was getting ready to arrest a number of UNP politicians who participated in a workshop coordinated by the Friedrich Neumann Foundation.
The Opposition Leader said that the issue would be taken to international fora and the MPs who attended the workshop had been accused of trying to overthrow the government. "Yes, we are trying to topple this government but that is through democratic means, through electoral process, by the ballot. That is our sole right as the Opposition. Now, the government has got the CID to harass our MPs accusing them of trying to topple the government through undemocratic means."
The UNP leader said that Sagarika Delgoda, who had coordinated the workshop on behalf of the Friedrich Neumann Stiftung, had been summoned by the CID and grilled from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. "Please stop this. We will not overlook this. This is a serious issue. We warn the government not to invite unnecessary trouble."
The UNP leader said: "Several UNP MPs attended this workshop which was conducted by a resource person from Germany. The workshop was intended to share their experiences and to instruct them how to win forthcoming provincial council elections. Some of these members were contacted by the CID, which grilled Sagarika Delgoda of Friedrich Neumann Stiftung. She was asked whether they had links with the LTTE and also whether her organisation had funded the LTTE. She was asked whether the UNP was conspiring to overthrow the government. We would topple this government but not through conspiracies. We will overthrow this government through the ballot."
The Opposition Leader said that the government had said that there would be an election in 2014. "Accordingly, the UNP is getting ready for that election. We have a right to do so, don’t we?"
The Opposition leader said that some government media outfits were being abused to stick the LTTE label on MPs who attended the workshop.
Deputy Speaker Chandima Weerakkody said that the matter would be brought to the notice of the Speaker.
UNP and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said, in Parliament yesterday, that the government was getting ready to arrest a number of UNP politicians who participated in a workshop coordinated by the Friedrich Neumann Foundation.
May 23, 2013 -VIDEO:The Government has begun a new campaign to “sling mud” at the United National Party and is using the state media and certain private media establishments to discredit its MPs by labeling them as “traitors,” MP Ruwan Wijewardene said.
Speaking in regard to the recent controversy surrounding the CID’s investigations into the operations of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, Wijewardene stated that UNP MPs including Harin Fernanado, Harsha de Silva, Eran Wickramaratne and himself have been labeled as “government toppling conspiring traitors” for attending a workshop organized by the German non-profit organization.
The Gampaha District Member of Parliament stated that yesterday he was accused of receiving funds from Germany to oust the government.
“We can’t topple governments by taking money from foreign nations. A government will not topple just because a foreigner came and conducted a workshop here.”
“The government can only be toppled with the power of the public’s vote. As the opposition our goal is to remove the government from power and establish a UNP regime,” he said.
Condemning the government’s move, Wijewardene stated that it was an attempt to suppress democracy in the country.
He further stressed that the Friedrich Naumann Foundation is not a biased organization which only supports the UNP and that it has also coordinated such programmes for the members of the government.
Sagarika Delgoda, the Friedrich Naumann Sri Lanka representative, has organized a number of such programmes for Ministers Keheliya Rambukwella, G. L. Peiris, Mahinda Samarasinghe, Sarath Amunugama and MPs Manusha Nanayakkara, Dilum Amunugama and various other government politicians, he said addressing a media briefing in Colombo today (23).
“The CID should then question them as well, whether they are conspiring to topple the government,” he said.
UNP Western Provincial Councilor Harshana Rajakaruna, who also attended the briefing, stated that the government has stooped to its usual level of “sticking this LTTE label” to find a way out of the mess they have fallen into.
He stated that it was the UNP that was mostly affected due to the Tamil Tigers and that the party’s leaders such as Gamini Dissanayake, Lalith Athulathmudali, Ranasinghe Premadasa and Ranjan Wijeratna were assassinated by the terrorist group.
Ranil Wickramasinghe would have been elected President by winning the 2005 election if not for the LTTE, he said, adding, that former rebel leaders such Pilleyan, Karuna and K.P. are today under the wing of the government.
Rajakaruna also demanded that the government reveal to the public the details of the immense wealth of the LTTE and what has now happen to it. “At least use that money to reduce the electricity tariff and give the people concessions.”
