"RW is not giving up the leadership because he is helping MR" - UNP co-organizer of Kala Wewa, Anil Rathnayake

COLOMBO (News 1st):- Why is Ranil Wickremesinghe still the party leader despite so much backlash from many UNP members? UNP MP Chaminda Wijesiri was questioned by journalists if he is trying to get the party leadership to Sajith Premadasa, in spite of Ranil Wickremesinghe saying that he will remain as the party leader till 2023? To which the parliamentarian replied:

"We were told we will not be given presidential candidates but we got one. We were told that the post of opposition leader will not be given but we got that as well. We have created a path for the elections approved by the public and the party members despite many decisions taken by our leader to stop us. We would like to ask the people supporting our leader who is best suited for the leadership in the future? We have requested a vote to solve this. It's better to hold a vote. We would like to humbly request the groups who are engaging in deal politics to stop that. We will not stop until the leadership is changed "

Responding to allegations that the former Prime Minister has 200 security personnel for his security, the MP said;

"That question should be asked from the Minister of Defence and the Defence Secretary. We would like to know as to why Ranil Wickremesinghe receives this many special facilities under the current government. From that, you can clearly understand the political situation in the country."

Meanwhile the UNP co-organizer of Kala Wewa, Anil Rathnayake says;

"Ranil Wickremesinghe and his supporters have joined the Rajapaksa government and have taken contracts to reveal UNP secrets and make the party lose in the upcoming elections. Our leader has no intention of bringing victory to the party. He has gotten all the special facilities he wanted from the government. Over 10,000 UNPers who had got appointments were all abandoned and he doesn't talk about it. The public knows the reason, he's not giving up the leadership because he is helping Mahinda Rajapaksa."

Politburo Member of the JVP, Wasantha Samarasinghe also speaking about the issues centring UNP leadership says;

"When the former regime was in power they protected the current regime and now the former regime knows that in order to survive they must make deals with the current regime. Ranil is not leaving because of the deals he and Mahinda have. The poor who are trying to survive gets thrown in jail when the people who were involved in the Bond Scam are free. The current government is acting like the bond scam was done by a different group. Will the government that did not release the Forensic Audit of the Central Bank bond issue from the parliament for two months catch thieves? No, they will not. During the day time, they blame each other and at night they rob the people together."

Speaking on the forensic audit that is still to be released on the CBSL bond scam, the Joint Convenor of the Jathika Mahajana Sabhawa, Chameera Perera says;

"Why is the government scared of this now? If they present the forensic audit we will be able to find out who exactly did what. This is what they are scared of. This was not only done by the previous government but has been happening even in the government before that. It may have been happening from even before that. We can see that some of the current officials, too are not pure."

Representatives of the governing party also levelled criticism against the government for the delay in taking action against those who are charged with allegations of corruption including the Central Bank bond scam. UPFA MP, Piyal Nishantha speaking about the matter says;

"There was an individual who suffered a heart attack. Now that person has risen again and says that he is ready to work for the common alliance. As a responsible government why can't the leaders in the government understand that Rajitha Senaratne has deceived even those who implement the law. Therefore we would urge the government to take speedy action. If not the people of the country will be frustrated with the government."

The Leader of the Sri Lanka Mahajana Party, Asanka Navaratne says;

"The Easter attacks, the bond scam are some of the reasons why the people rallied around the leadership of Gotabaya Rajapaksa. We would like to request from the President to appoint a special presidential commission or based on the revelations made by the present commission to start implementing legal action on those who were found guilty. If not, the very thing that happened to the UNP will happen to us as well."