UNP leader sends warnings

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Except the President , Mrs Chandrika Kumarathunge, and the Prime Minister, Mrs. Srimavo Bandaranayake, all of the other government ministers are corrupt, said Mr. Anura Bandaranayake, UNP parliamentarian, brother of the President and son of the Prime Minister while speaking at the UNP's parliamentary committee meeting yesterday.

Commenting on this Mr. Mervin Silva pointed out that Mr. Anura Bandaranayake had earlier stated that all government ministers are corrupt, sparking a verbal confrontation between Mr. Bandaranayake and other UNP parliamentarians Mervin Silva, Thilak Karunaratne and Rajitha Senanayake, that lasted for nearly 90 minutes.

The leader of the UNP Mr. Ranil Wickremasinghe did not intervene to stop the confrontation.

Political observers have interpreted this as a warning to UNPers, including Anura Bandaranayake and veteran A.C.S. Hameed, who have recently fallen foul, of the leadership.

Meanwhile, the UNP has warned that it will issue a motion of no confidence against the powerful media minister Mr. Mangala Samaraweere who is embroiled in a scandal whereby his credit card bills are alleged to have been paid by a Japanese business man.