UNP disowns Ranjan’s stunt

No one in the UNP including party chief Ranil Wickremesinghe and opposition leader Sajith Premadasa approves what MP Ranjan Ramanayake did by recording telephone conversations he had with various individuals, Anuradhapura District UNP MP Anura Sidney Jayaratne told Parliament yesterday.

“Please don’t blame the UNP for what MP Ramanayake did as none approves such conduct. Mr. Ramanayake should not and will not be given nomination from the UNP to contest the general elections,” he said.

Many government MPs who took up the issue during yesterday’s session demanded the appointment of either a parliamentary select committee or presidential commission to probe the matter.

State Minister Nimal Lansa requested Speaker Karu Jayasuriya to remove MP Ramanayake from the official residence he occupies at the moment. (Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana)