Video: No formal notice of the suspensions- Range

20 October 2012 07:50 am

A group of three UNP MPs, whose party membership was suspended yesterday, claimed they have not been formally informed of such a decision through written or verbal means until now.

Speaking at a media briefing a short while ago, UNP MP Palitha Range Bandara said, “We have heard various reports concerning our party membership through media reports. However, we have not received any official notice concerning the suspension of our membership through any officials of the party by written or verbal means.”

UNP General secretary Tissa Attanayake yesterday said the party memberships of five MPs including Palitha Range Bandara, P.Thevarapperuma, A. Abeysinghe as well as and two other UNP provincial councilors have been suspended for taking part in a rally held at the Hyde Park on Thursday, organized by the National Bhikku Front (NBF).

MP Bandara says none of the MPs or provincial councilors was informed to refrain from attending the NBF rally on Thursday. “A discussion on participating at the rally at Hyde Park was held on Thursday at the working committee meeting. However, only two MPs – Mangala Samaraweera and Shanthini Kongahage, along with our party leader Ranil
Wickremasinghe seemed to believe it was unnecessary to attend the rally. Six other working committee members including MP Sajith Premadasa, MP Ranjith Madduma Bandara and the mayor of Colombo A. J. M. Muzammil did not object to attending the rally,” MP Bandara explained.

He also said, the debate was limited to a discussion and added no formal decision was made to refrain from participating in the rally. “The majority of working committee members did not express any objection to MPs or provincial councilors attending the meeting. If a decision was to be made to abstain from attending the rally, it should have been voted on,” he said they see no wrong in having attended the NBF rally because as citizens of Sri Lanka, they are entitled to the freedom of assembly and freedom of expression.

Speaking further he said, the NBF has pledged their support to the UNP MPs who attended their rally. “They have informed us that they will be rise against the dictatorial administration of the UNP, if any action is taken against us for participating in the rally held on Thursday.”

Meanwhile, MP Bandara also said they believe all opposition parties including the UNP should have attended the rally and benefitted through it as was mainly directed at the Sinhala Buddhist voters. “The UNP’s Sinhala Buddhist voter base at present is only 22%, as opposed to the 55% of the government. For the UNP to rise to power, it is compulsory to appeal to the majority of the Sinhala Buddhist voter base in order to gain a majority of 74%,” he added. (Lakna Paranamanna)



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