Mano Ganeshan, Colombo district parliamentarian and the leader of Western People’s Front (WPF) condemned United National Party (UNP) Puththa’lam district parliamentarian, Palitharanga Bandara’s statement that heavy weapons should be used on the ‘safe zone’ to destroy the Liberation Tigers, in a media release Wednesday in Colombo. Palitharanga praised the Sri Lankan Armed Forces for their victories against the war on Tamils besides expressing views revealing racism in the press meet held Monday in the official residence of the Opposition Leader and this shows that UNP too is a political party that is against the Tamils,” Mano Ganeshan said in the press release.
“The election alliance between WPF and UNP will not be continued,” he further said in the report.
“Palitharanga Bandara’s statement has hurt the Tamils very much,” Mano Ganeshan pointed out to Ranil Wickremasinghe, the leader of UNP.
The following are the excerpts of the media release by Mano Ganeshan:
“Sri Lanka government has been forced to reduce attacks deploying heavy weaponry due to pressure from International Community and Human Rights Organizations. But news from Vanni show that heavy weapons are being used in the war on the ‘safe zone’ in Vanni.”
“Why should Palitharanga Bandara urge the government to use heavy weapons on the ‘safe zone’? Is UNP unaware of the presence of innocent Tamils there? Why this racism against the Tamils? This is something utterly shameful. The UNP will loose its Tamil votes in the future polls.”
“Our party had entered into an election alliance prior to the Western Provincial Council election. This does not mean that our party accepts the principles of UNP. We cannot agree especially with its principles on the current war and human rights issues.”
“The Tamil voters in the capitol of Colombo voted for our three candidates who contested under the elephant symbol of the UNP on the assurances given by our party explaining the election pact we had entered with the UNP. Their votes were cast for us and not for the UNP.”
“Many members of UNP objected when I mentioned in the campaign meetings that the pact between our party and UNP was essentially an election alliance and not an agreement sharing the same principles.”
“But Palitharanga Bandara’s Monday statement clearly justifies my position and views held,” the press release concluded.
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