UNF vows to fight back

by Rohan Mathes

The United National Front Government, which broke its silence yesterday, on the tough political decisions initiated by the President Chandrika Kumaratu-nga, on Tuesday, where she sacked three prominent Ministers, said the government would employ all democratic means to counter the tough stand taken by the President.

At a Press Briefing held at Temple Trees, where over ten Cabinet ministers were present, with UNP deputy leader Karu Jayasuriya in attendance, Gover-nment Spokesman Prof. G.L. Peiris, who was informed by the media that the President has declared a state of Emergency claimed that it was an act to restrict the freedom of the people.

The UNP Ministerial team was unaware of the state of Emergency declared shortly before noon by the President. They expressed surprise and said that the emergency has to be debated in the house within ten days. "She can only prorogue Parliament for two months under the provisions of the constitution and not more than that period.", Prof. Peiris explained.

Prof. Peiris referring to the prorogation of Parliament, which had prevented the presentation of the annual Budget on November 12th said the President had deprived the workers of this country of a long overdue wage increase. "We had envisaged a number of concessions in that Budget for the benefit of the people and the President’s action has deprived the masses of these benefits", Peiris lamented.