Mr. Karu Jayasuriya rejoining the UNP is not a surprise to the people but what is surprising is the timing of his departure from the government and his principles! He said he joined the government to strengthen the hand of HE President to bring the war to an end defeating the LTTE terrorists. But when the valiant security forces are on the verge of unifying the country and defeating the worlds most dangerous terrorists, Karu Jayasuriya even without waiting to celebrate the victory, quietly decamped! But his 17 colleagues who came with him, has clearly said publicly that they joined the government on principle and will not rejoin the UNP until the present leader of the UNP is replaced and the party functions democratically.

It has to be admitted that Ranil Wickremesinghe is a clever manipulator. He has silenced his critics at least temporarily and ruined Karu J’s political future together with his self respect. But none of these tactics is going to influence the majority of voters, unless and until the UNP leadership wins the confidence of the people by removing the doubts in their minds about the appeasement policy of the LTTE.

Mr. Rukman Senanayake, the Chairman of the UNP threw a life line by proclaiming clearly that "terrorism must be wiped out and we must support the government m doing that." Instead of proclaiming this as UNP policy, it was shot down by another senior UNP MP calling for a negotiated settlement with the tigers and calling those who want to eliminate the terrorists as ‘idiots and lunatics’. Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe, the leader of the Party went one better and removed Rukman Senanayake from the position of chairman of the Party! Mr. Karu J must be in a quandary in having to sacrifice whatever principles he had and to tow the line of his leader’s appeasement policy!

After the terrorist attack in Mumbai, all opposition parties in India have pledged their fullest support to their Prime Minister in any action he may take against the terrorists and those responsible for harbouring them. Our opposition leaders should hide their heads in shame for attacking the government which is on the verge of wiping out terrorists in our country. A late politician once said that ‘terrorists are like mad dogs and mad dogs cannot be rehabilitated and have to be destroyed’.