UNP dismisses threat of ‘alternative’ grouping

Alternative political groups within a main political party have always been relegated to the dustbins of the history, the UNP said. UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake was responding to remarks by a dissident faction within the Party led by UNP MP Palitha Range Bandara that they would form an alternative UNP group.

“There is only one UNP,” the Party General Secretary said, dismissing concerns about a further split in the country’s oldest political party. Attanayake said that history had shown that whether it was the UNP or SLFP, in the end all alternative groups fade into oblivion. “All that is left standing is the mainstream party,” he claimed.

He said remarks about alternative UNP teams were being made by factions within the Party who had made deals with the Government. “Disciplinary action has already been initiated against some of these party members for refusing to follow orders issued by the UNP,” Attanayake said.

Range Bandara and several other reformist group members defied orders by the leadership that the UNP would be boycotting a major rally organised by the United Bhikku Front to agitate for the abolishment of the executive presidency in October last year.  Attanayake charged that in Sri Lanka at present, there were only two political movements. “One movement aims to safeguard the Rajapaksa regime at all costs. The other is against this corrupt ruling regime – there is no room for any other kind of opposition grouping,” he said.