by Namini Wijedasa
Anura Bandaranaike does not know A.H.M. Fowzie’s worth, the latter declared yesterday, asserting that the people of Sri Lanka considered him to be a national resource.

Fowzie was reacting to Bandaranaike’s claim last week that the man who had polled the Colombo district’s highest preferential votes at the December general elections will be sacked from the Sri Lanka Freedom Party within a few days.

"Anura Bandaranaike doesn’t know the value of people," Fowzie told The Sunday Island. "It is his mother who knew about me."

"His mother said that she could develop the country if she had just five more Fowzies," he continued. "The people of Sri Lanka treat me like a national resource."

Fowzie pointed out that he had worked day and night for the party, often without food or sleep. "I did the party credit and worked hard to keep it in power," he asserted. "I will not leave the party."

Fowzie scoffed at those in the party who had embraced G.L. Peiris and S.B. Dissanayake saying the People’s Alliance government was ultimately overthrown by them.

Bandaranaike said at an opposition rally last week that Fowzie will be removed in a few days, although an inquiry against him hasn’t been concluded. Both Fowzie and Richard Pathirana have been asked for an explanation from the SLFP leadership about certain statements they made supporting the formation of a national government with the United National Front. Pathirana could not be contacted for comment yesterday.