Nothing wrong in taking advice with aid says UNP

UNITED NATIONAL PARTY SAYS IF WE ARE RECEIVING AID FROM BRITAIN THERE IS NOTHING WRONG IN TAKING ADVICE

By Walter Jayawardhana

The British Parliament has full rights and independence to discuss any country including Sri Lanka and if Sri Lanka is receiving aid from Britain there is nothing wrong in receiving advice from them said United National Party (UNP) spokesman and former Minister John Amaratunga.

John Amaratunga, a senior member of the party was being interviewed by the Sinhala Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) about his party’s stand on the extension of the Emergency Regulations in the Sri Lanka Parliament.

Emergency regulations , mainly maintained for the existing war with the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has to be extended in the parliament from time to time.

The LTTE proxy party the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) voted against the extension while the UNP took a more neutral stand by declining to vote. But the vote for extension was passed by a majority of 109 votes.

John Amaratunga said his party did not vote this time since the government has failed to provide any security for the people. The government was also not ready to accept the views of the UNP regarding the war. The UNP signed a peace accord with the LTTE and refused to act militarily when the LTTE was engaged in such activities against them in retaliation while the UNP was in power.

Meanwhile the Janata Vimukti Peramuna (JVP) parliamentarian, Anura Dissanayaka who is also a member of the parliamentary opposition said in the same program that his party would give every support to the government to crush terrorism. Therefore, his party voted for the extension of the emergency powers.

He said human rights issues are being used by certain foreign elements as an excuse to interfere in the internal affairs of the country. He said his party would oppose forces who use such issues with ulterior motives.

Commenting on the British parliamentary group allegedly siding with the LTTE Anura Dissanayaka said they had no right to advice Sri Lanka and subject the country for inappropriate pressure.

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