Attanayake refutes Sirisena’s claim of secret deal with LTTE

By Nirmala Kannangara

The UNP on Friday dismissed the government’s claim of an alleged deal between the UNP and the LTTE at the eastern province election and said it was the same old bogey of the SLFP at every election.

UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake while refuting UPFA General Secretary, Maithripala Sirisena’s claim told the media that the government is now trying its same old tactic as it is now on the verge of defeat at the forthcoming eastern provincial election.

"It was the same tactics they used in the run up to the presidential election in 2005 and deprived UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe of winning the election. But later on Mangala Samaraweera and the late Sripathi Sooriyaarachchi made public as to how the then Prime Minister Mahinda Rakjapakse came to a pact with the LTTE and as to how the LTTE was influenced to stop the Tamils from voting for Ranil Wickremesinghe," added Attanayake.

Accusing the Rajapakse administration of misleading the general public to win elections by ‘hook or by crook,’Attanayake said that the country has now become a failed state as a result of the government’s dismal performance.

"It was the UNP that suffered most at the hands of the LTTE and not any other party. Our leaders were murdered and the present leader was deprived of a historic win. With all those it is hilarious to hear the UPFA General Secretary’s claim that the UNP is having a secret deal with the Tigers to win the elections. The Rajapakse administration is responsible for the rising CoL, inflation, bribery, corruption and human rights violations in the country. In this backdrop they are trying to accuse the UNP unsuccessfully," alleged Attanayake.

Meanwhile Attanayake urged President Mahinda Rajapakse to appoint the select committee that was requested by the late Sripathi Sooriyaarachchi to probe into the government’s scandalous deal with the Tigers at the earliest.

"Let the government show its transparency by appointing the Parliamentary Select Committee to probe the alleged Tiger deal the government had, to win the elections," Attanayake said.