UNP reformists call on Ranil to refute allegations against him

Lal Gunasekera

The United National Party reformist group yesterday demanded that UNP and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe personally accept the challenge thrown by Health Minister and SLFP General-Secretary Maithripala Sirisena, for a ‘face to face’ debate on the allegations made by the latter without getting his henchmen to defend him. Sirisena has alleged that Wickremasinghe attempted to sabotage Gamini Dissanayake’s presidential election campaign in 1994.

President of the Movement to Protect the UNP and its Trade Unions Sanjeewa Samarasinghe told The Island yesterday (17) that instead of Wickremasinghe’s cronies, Wickremasinghe should defend himself and refute the allegations repeatedly made by Sirisena.

Samarasinghe said that if Wickremasinghe could not prove his innocence he together with Attanayake should resign from their posts and party membership forthwith. The debate between Wickremesinghe and Sirisena should take place before the Provincial Council elections on September 8, he said.

If Wickremesinghe was not guilty, he did no have to get Attanayake and Kiriella to defend him, Samarasinghe said.

Samarasinghe said that the UNP leader would never agree to a debate with Sirisena as the allegations levelled against him (RW) were true.

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