Saturday, 4 October 2014 01:21
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There were reports that External Affairs Monitoring MP Sajin de Vass Gunawardena was sidelined in President Rajapaksa’s and the Sri Lankan delegation’s audience with the Pope yesterday.
In the group picture of the event (See Page 2), Sajin was a conspicuous absentee though he was part of the official delegation. Reports alleged that the Catholic Church had protested against the inclusion of Sajin in the audience with the Pope over the reported attack by him on Sri Lanka’s envoy in the UK Dr. Chris Nonis.
However the official press release from the Presidential spokesman yesterday on Rajapaksa’s audience with the pontiff included Sajin’s name among those who were present.
Others mentioned in the statement were Chief Justice Mohan Peiris, Minister of External Affairs Prof. G. L. Peiris, Minister of State Resources and Enterprise Development Dayasritha Tissera, Minister of Social Services Felix Perera, Deputy Minister of External Affairs Neomal Perera, Minister of Coconut Development and Janatha Estate Development Anthony Victor Perera, Chief Opposition Whip John Amaratunga, President’s Chief of Staff Gamini Senarath and Secretary to the Ministry of External Affairs, Mrs. Kshenuka Senewiratne.
