November 15, 2007

Conspiracy to topple Govt with LTTE help

The UNP Democratic Group is firmly behind the Government and will leave no room to see it being toppled through the defeat of the budget, Construction and Engineering Service Minister Rajitha Senaratne said yesterday.

Senaratne noted that the three Armed Forces had achieved an unprecedented victory against the LTTE. The LTTE never faced such a debacle in the conflict’s history. Under no Government before had such a victory been achieved, he said.

Addressing the media at Seth Sevana, the Minister said some were trying to topple the Government with help from persons like Charles Gnanakoon.

Gnanakoon was trying to lure Government Ministers for money. He set apart Rs. 10 million for each Government Minister and thereafter Rs. 30 million. In the end he increased this to Rs. 500 million. But all this ended in failure, Senaratne said.

He said no one can have such massive funds without the backing of a wealthy person or institution. The Minister said there are two groups in Parliament. One is attempting to topple the Government and strengthen the LTTE’s hands and the other is striving to protect the country and its sovereignty from terrorism, he said.

Even Tamil parliamentarians have accepted LTTE defeat. It has come as a shock to the LTTE how the Armed Forces defeated them targeting their prominent military bases, Senaratne said. The LTTE sent 21 perfectly trained suicide cadres for the Anuradhapura Air Base attack.

On previous occasions they sent only one or two cadres. This shows their weakness. Now they are unable to protect even their small areas. The LTTE and its supporters are attempting to defeat the Government at the Budget, Senaratne added. The Minister said with the killing of Thamilselvan, the LTTE has lost its second in command.

Senaratne said those who enjoyed all benefits under former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga’s Government were now slinging mud at this Government.

The team comprising former President Kumaratunga, Parliamentarians Mangala Samaraweera and Sripathi Sooriaarachchi with Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe are conspiring to topple the Government, he said.

The Minister challenged them to topple the Government saying the 17 members of the D group have decided to cast their votes supporting the Government.

DN

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