Ronnie de Mel changes sides again

[TamilNet, Sunday, 22 February 2004, 12:14 GMT]
Mr. Ronnie de Mel, Sri Lanka’s longest serving finance minister, crossed over to the United National Party (UNP) from President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s Sri Lanka Freedom Party, UNP officials in Colombo said Sunday. His wife Mallika de Mel, a former MP from the Matara district, also joined the UNP along with her husband.

Mr. Mel was minister of finance in the UNP regime from 1977 to 1989. Since then he has changed sides on the eve of three elections to Sri Lanka’s Parliament.

Mr. Mel was appointed an MP on the people’s Alliance national list in 2001. SLFP sources said that he has cross over to the UNP because he faces stiff opposition in his home electorate in the Matara district.




Ronnie de Mel and his wife Mallika conferring with Ranil Wickremesinghe