Maithri Gunaratne says - Will continue this fight until Ranil Wickremesinghe is sent home...

Convening a media briefing on Sunday, Southern Provincial Councillor, Maithri Gunaratne responded to statements made by Mangala Samaraweera and Tissa Attanayake regarding his father.

“It was Mangala Samaraweera's goons that attacked the peaceful march that was held yesterday. Mangala Samaraweera has also said that my father is a Presidential Advisor. I challenge Mangala Samaraweera to prove this tomorrow. If so, I will resign my seat the next day. Mangala
Samaraweera and government members of the Matara Municipal Council were instrumental in attacking and halting this procession. They were all preparing adjacent to the Municipal Council, we have photographs of them gathering on either side of the Municipal Council. If my father was a Presidential Advisor, then we could have stopped this. Given the situation in the country today, if my father was a Presidential Advisor, he could not have been remanded.”

He further added,

“Tissa Attanayake is also saying now that my father is an advisor. I wish to say to Tissa Attanayake that if my father is a Presidential Advisor, then prove it with evidence. You cannot become a Presidential Advisor in secret. There are about 300 presidential advisors. They have been appointed and have been given salaries and vehicles. At the very least show me a pay-slip. Tissa Attanayake has destroyed the largest and most powerful party in this country. The party which had 45 percent of the vote in 1994 has only 21 percent of the cote in 2013. Tissa Attanayake has resigned as the organizer of the Kundasale electorate. In truth he should resign from the position of General Secretary of the party, if he is a proper man. Instead he is levelling baseless allegations.”

Maithri Gunaratne also commented on the actions of the police:

“We were engaged in a peaceful march and the police acted very unjustly. We had informed everyone in the police of this march including the IGP. I have all the documentation. Even after all of this the police did not provide us with any security. When we were approaching Matara the HGI informed us that a group carrying poles had gathered in Matara and asked us to proceed with caution. Is this how the police who are charged with protecting the peace should act?”

He further stated,

“I am clearly saying that Mangala Samaraweera got the support of the government and the full support of the police to stop this march. We have addressed a letter to the Inspector General of Police asking him to stop this injustice and to give us the opportunity to continue with our march. Mangala Samaraweera wanted to stop this march at the Matara Bodhiya but he was unable to - and that is his defeat. He had promised Ranil Wickremesinghe that he would not allow this march to continue forward. The people of this country have not forgotten what Mangala Samaraweera did during the North Western Provincial Elections in 1998. Justin Galappaththi from the Matara District in the Provincial Council stripped women and made them walk on the road.”

Noting that the fight to bring about change in leadership will continue regardless of whatever obstacles placed in their way, Maithri Gunaratne called on the people to be patient.

“We commenced a very peaceful march from Matara. Today, on the internet there are various stories. UNP supporters should not be troubled because this march was stopped. We had to stop the march because of a court order and because we respect the decision of the court. We do not accept it, but we stopped the march. But the fight cannot be stopped, we will continue with this fight. We will stop once Ranil Wickremesinghe is sent home. We have cornered Ranil Wickremesinghe like a cat now. He is clawing now because that is all he can do. Through this we have revealed to the country what democracy means to persons like Ranil Wickremesinghe.”

Maithri Gunaratne also said at this media briefing, that change cannot be expected following the UNP Working Committee meeting tomorrow.

“We do not believe that there will be any major change following tomorrow's working committee meeting. Because the majority of the working committee comprises of Ranil Wickremesinghe's henchmen - a group of people who have been rejected by the public. I will mention a few - Sagala Ratnayake, Ananda Kularatne, Vajira Abeywardena, Suranimala Rajapaksa, Edward Gunasekera. These people have been rejected by the public. They do not understand the people's will. Giving them membership in the working committee was akin to giving them horns. The majority of those in the working committee have been defeated. The will of the parliamentary group should also be sought. The views of the parliamentary group should be inquired into. Because they represent the people's will as elected representatives.”

He further added,

“The parliamentary group is due to be convened n the 8th . But he will not convene the parliamentary group. I clearly say that Ranil Wickremesinghe will not convene the parliamentary group, he will convene the working committee. There is a possibility that tomorrow he will get a proposal put forward through someone in the working committee, expressing confidence in him. This is what will happen.”