by Franklin R. Satyapalan
Relations between CWC leader Arumugam Thondaman and Deputy Minister Navin Dissanayake have deteriorated sharply with Thondaman planning a mass protest demonstration and rally at Talawakelle today to condemn Dissanayake’s "actions and statements.’’

Both Thondaman and Dissanayake are members of parliament from the Nuwara Eliya District elected on the CWC and UNP tickets. Both parties are constituents of the UNF coalition.

Thondaman yesterday said that he will not resign from the government as demanded by Dissanayake who is Deputy Minister of Plantations. Dissanayake in turn denied that he had ever called for Thondaman’s resignation and said that he would be denying a story to that effect published in a Sinhala newspaper.

"What I said was that Minister Thondaman had a collective responsibility to accept the decision of the cabinet on the Upper Kotmale Project,’’ he said.

Thondaman said that his Talawakelle protest is on the lines of the Jana Bala Mehayuma. The demonstration by the upcountry people had been called for three reasons-to condemn recent public statements of Dissanayake and challenge him to prove that he was a power in the government.

"We will keep the third subject secret until the protest itself,’’ Thondaman said.

Thondaman has been annoyed by Dissanayake’s position on the Upper Kotmale. The minister is resisting this project favoured by the deputy minister.

"I would like to advice Dissanayake not to hope or dream that he can provoke me to resign and create divisions within the government. All he has done is to cause embarrassment and instability within the government,’’ Thondaman said.

Dissanayake said that Thondaman had a duty to accept a cabinet decision and collective responsibility which meant that if the cabinet took a decision, all the ministers should stand by it. He said that he saw no reason for delaying the Upper Kotmale Project which has been passed by a committee that examined it and the cabinet.

"I have no other personal grudges against Mr. Thondaman and I am only angry that he continues to object to the Upper Kotmale Project getting off the ground after all the time and money that has been spent on it for so long,’’ Dissanayake said.