{"id":130953,"date":"2014-09-28T13:02:18","date_gmt":"2014-09-28T07:32:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=130953"},"modified":"2014-10-07T19:58:16","modified_gmt":"2014-10-07T14:28:16","slug":"unp-crisis-the-secret-deal-is-now-public","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/unp-crisis-the-secret-deal-is-now-public\/","title":{"rendered":"UNP Crisis: The Secret Deal Is Now Public"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sri Lanka\u2019s closely guarded political secret, that the owners of two media organisations have been brokering Sajith Premadasa\u2019s entry as Deputy Leader of the United National Party (UNP), on behalf of the Government is now public.<\/p>\n

\"Sajith<\/a>

Rajapaksa and Sajith | File photo<\/p><\/div>\n

The confession has come from none other than the General Secretary of the UNP, Tissa Attanayake<\/span><\/a>. He admitted that he had been meeting Tiran Alles<\/span><\/a> MP and Kili Rajamahendran<\/span><\/a> during talks with his leader Ranil Wickremesinghe<\/span><\/a> for the re-entry of Sajith Premadasa<\/span><\/a> as Deputy Leader. He revealed this at the Working Committee meeting of the UNP held on September 23.<\/p>\n

Tiran Alles, who has confessed to handing over millions of rupees to the LTTE to stop Tamil voters from exercising their franchise at the 2005 Presidential elections, is the Publisher of Mawbima Group of Newspapers. They publish the Ceylon Today (English) and Mawbima (Sinhala). Their Director Editorial Thushara Gunaratne<\/span><\/a> has been given the assignment to name and shame<\/span><\/a> anyone who criticises Alles. Kili Raja Mahendran alias Maharajah is the owner of MTV networks who owns the TV station Sirisa.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s Sunday Leader and Sunday Times newspapers reported the revelations made by Attanayake. If the Sunday Leader said Attanayake has confessed to meeting Alles and Maharajah, Sunday Times quoted the head of the Eksath Bhikku Peramuna accusing Alles of acting on behalf of the Government. He alleged that a lot of money has changed hands.<\/p>\n

Here are some highlights of Sunday Times report:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe EBP members, during a 90-minute meeting with Wickremesinghe, placed their demands and a heated debate ensued. Others present were Karu Jayasuriya, Ravi Karunanayake, Wijayadasa Rajapaksha and Malik Samarawickrema, a former Chairman of the UNP and a close confidant of Wickremesinghe. Though invited Premadasa was absent. National Organiser Daya Gamage, who arrived for a different errand, also took part. Venerable Ananda charged that Tiran Alles (a National List MP of the Democratic National Alliance -DNA-) was in tow with a UPFA dignitary to ensure Sajith Premadasa was made Deputy Leader. He alleged that large amounts of money had changed hands. Wickremesinghe was to quickly assert that there was no such thing and that the delegation had got it completely wrong. Daya Gamage declared, \u201cWe cannot work on other people\u2019s agendas.\u201d Added Wijayadasa Rajapaksha, \u201cThe General Secretary of the party should not be a kapuwa (marriage broker). He must work for the best interests of the party.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAttanayake was to drop a bombshell during his speech. Whilst taking pride in the fact he was able to \u2018unite\u2019 Ranil Wickremesinghe, Karu Jayasuriya and Sajith Premadasa on the same platform in Passara, he said, there were others who were strongly critical of him. He revealed that during consultations with his leader Wickremesinghe for the return of Premadasa as Deputy, he had met both Tiran Alles and Raja Mahendran. Eyebrows were raised when the self-confession came. All that while he had told party leaders and the Sangha that he did not deal with \u201canyone outside.\u201d He said the purpose of his meetings was to ensure that the media organisations owned by them did not criticise the national leader or the UNP. Did Attanayake brief Wickremesinghe about his meetings? During Wickremesinghe\u2019s meeting with the Eksath Bhikku Peramuna last Sunday, Attanayake denied any link with \u2018those outside.\u2019 He also denied it when asked by the Sunday Times at one of his press conferences. Here are the relevant excerpts from last week\u2019s political commentary.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Sunday Times asked Tissa Attanayake, General Secretary of the UNP, about reports that Alles, who is from another political party, discussed with him the appointment of Premadasa as Deputy Leader of the UNP. The question was posed when he addressed a news conference at Siri Kotha, the UNP headquarters on Thursday. It was summoned to say that the Government could have further lowered electricity and fuel prices.<\/p>\n

\u201cAttanayake replied: \u2018I have not had such talks. There have been various reports about me. This is particularly in websites and in some weekend newspapers. I don\u2019t mind that as I have got more publicity. But I am happy about the role I played to unite the UNP. If the party is to win (the presidential election) all should get together. No one should be left out.\u2019 Ravi Karunanayake contested Attanayake\u2019s claim by saying he saw the General Secretary visiting Alles\u2019 office at Rosmead Place a number of times\u2026..\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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