Parliament will not be dissolved says SLFP
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 October 2001, 17:30 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party, the main constituent of the Sri Lanka's ruling People's Alliance has categorically declared that parliament would not be dissolved before the no-confidence submitted by the main opposition United National Party against the government is taken up for debate on Thursday as scheduled.
Mr.Samaraweera, a close confidante of President Chandrika Kumaratunge said at a press conference held Tuesday evening, "The government is not intending to dissolve parliament before or after the no-confidence motion is taken up for debate".  "The PA government has the ability to defeat the no-faith motion," he stressed, amidst unconfirmed reports that about ten PA parliamentarians are likely to defect from the government. He alleged that, "the business Mafia that defaulted millions of rupees to State banks are now trying to buy PA parliamentarians at the rate of 3 million rupees per head". Mr.Samaraweera predicted that "the country would see a new revolution on October 12 with the expulsion of Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe from the leadership of the United National Party." "Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe has brought the motion to evade opposition to him within his party. Mafia and separatist groups also support the UNP leader in this regard", Mr.Mangala Samaraweera charged.
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