"It was not the right time for Karu Jayasuriya to quit the government, but it was his decision. Still, we believe that the UNP is our party though we cannot remain within it due to internal and leadership problems that had made us leave. But none of the others of the UNP dissident group will leave the government" a former UNP Minister of the dissident group told The Island on the condition of anonymity yesterday (9).

The UNP Leader lured members of other political parties into UNP but once they joined he made them helpless within the party so that he could go on to control everyone in the UNP he said.

For example S. B. Dissanayaka and Mangala Samaraweera who were playing key roles in the SLFP were now compelled to play second fiddle with no definite political future, he said.

However, the planets seemed to be revolving around President Mahinda Rajapaksa and he would win the forthcoming elections and return to power while the UNP leadership will continue to be defeated until there was a radical change in the party, he predicted.