UNP conspiring with the LTTE - President

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 September 1998, 19:42 GMT]
The Sri Lankan President Chandrika Bandaranayake Kumaratunge accused the main opposition party, the United National Party (UNP), of conspiring with the Liberation Tigers to overthrow the government this evening, while addressing a party meeting in Kurunagala.

She said that evidence has emerged that a UNP Member of Parliament had visited the LTTE controlled areas of the Vanni and had discussions with Thamilchelvan, the leader of the Tigers's political wing leader about overthrowing the government.

Sri Lanka's Deputy Minister for Defence Gen. Anuruddha Ratwatte and Minister of tourism Mr. Dharmasiri Senanayaka were also present at the meeting this evening.

Informed sources said that the President was referring to the visit of Dr.Jayalath Jayawardena, a key player in minority affairs in the UNP, to the Vanni recently.

Sources said that the PA seems to have come to the conclusion that the lengthy interview with Thamilchelvan which appeared in the Sunday Leader, which the PA accuses of promoting the UNP, had been conducted during Dr.Jayalath Jayawardana's visit to the Vanni.

The driver of the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (Vavuniya Branch) vehicle driver who drove the UNP MP to the LTTE controlled part of the Vanni was arrested by the Police and is still under interrogation.

The President also referred in her hard hitting speech today to the information that the driver had provided about the visit of the UNP MP.

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