UNP rubbishes allegations over Ranil
The main opposition United National Party (UNP) today rubbished claims that party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe had met the pro-LTTE diaspora in London and discussed moves against the country. UNP MP Kabir Hashim said that the UNP leader had gone to London recently for work and meetings related to the party and nothing else. He said that the Government is making comments on the recent EU court judgement on the LTTE without understanding the case properly.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa had said that the EU court ruling against the sanctions on the LTTE, was delivered just days after the opposition leader had met the pro-LTTE diaspora.
Government Minister Wimal Weerawansa, meanwhile, told reporters today that the EU court gave the order against the LTTE ban soon after the UNP leader came back to Sri Lanka after a visit to Europe. He also said that there are reports the UNP leader had been invited by LTTE supporters in Malaysia for a meeting to discuss the next Presidential elections. Kabir Hashim however said that Weerawansa was making comments without knowing the ground realities and such Ministers should not be in a Government. He said that Weerawansa should ask his own leader how it is that the EU court gave an order in support of the LTTE and why Sri Lankan Government lawyers had not made submissions to the EU court in the case.
The UNP MP noted that the ban on the LTTE has not yet been removed and that an appeal can be filed against the court ruling in order to have the judgement overturned. “If these Ministers do their job properly without just pointing fingers at the UNP they can save this country,” the UNP MP said. Kabir Hashim says Weerawansa should reveal, in an open debate, the deal he claims the UNP leader has made with the diaspora without day dreaming.
He also accused the Government of having its own deal with former LTTE weapons dealer Kumaran Pathmanathan, who is now in the care of the Government. (Colombo Gazette)