Defections annul MoU with SLFP- UNP

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 January 2007, 10:16 GMT]
Rukman Senanayake, Chairman of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) has informed the government that the Memorandum of Understanding signed with the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), main constituent of the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government will come to end with the accommodation of party dissident group in the cabinet.

Rukman Senanayake, grandson of D.S.Senanayake, the first Prime Minister of the island, conveyed the party decision on the MoU when he met President Mahinda Rajapakse Saturday.

He told media persons in Colombo that he had not discussed any other matters regarding formation of national government and not to accept dissident parliamentarians.

"I only met him to convey our decision that the MoU would come to an end with the dissidents' cross over," said Rukman Senanayake.

Ranil Wickremasinghe, leader of the UNP is currently abroad, visiting Nepal and India.

The MoU was signed in October last year by the SLFP and UNP on six identified issues giving top priority to finding a political solution to the ethnic conflict through negotiations.

Meanwhile, dissident UNP parliamentarians have decided to function as a separate group in parliament. The group is to send a letter to the Speaker Mr.W.J.M.Lokkubandara to accommodate seats in parliament taking into consideration their decision, sources said.

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