Anura Bandaranaike denies secrecy in SLFP-JVP pact

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 January 2004, 12:15 GMT]
Peoples Alliance parliamentarian Mr.Anura Bandaranaike in a statement issued Friday denied any secrecy in the agreement signed by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the Sinhala Nationalist Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) in forming the United Peoples Freedom Alliance ( UPFA ).

Mr.Anura Bandaranaike issued a counter challenge to Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe to tell the people how he could sign a ceasefire agreement with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, which has not recognized the government and the constitution of Sri Lanka, sources said.

Mr.Wickremasinghe described the Memorandum of Understanding released to the press at the signing event of the newly formed political alliance UPFA is a farce to hoodwink the people of the country and to unleash unfounded attack on the ruling United National Front government, sources said.

"As a person involved seriously in the formation of the new political alliance between the SLFP and JVP I with a sense of responsibility say that there is no secrecy in the agreement signed by both parties," said Mr.Anura Bandaranaike who is tipped to be the President of the UPFA.

The new office bearers of the UPFA are to be announced at the first national convention of the UPFA, which is scheduled to be held on January 29 in Colombo, sources said.

Mr.Anura Bandaranaike who represents Gampaha district in the current parliament is one of the senior advisors of President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge who is also his sister, sources said

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