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Rift between UNP, Rajapakse widens

B. Muralidhar Reddy

COLOMBO: The rift between Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse and the main Opposition party United National Party (UNP) is widening.

The UNP believes that instead of focusing his attention on tackling the ethnic conflict, Mr. Rajapakse is busy plotting to break it. It is peeved over Mr. Rajapakse's decision to not only admit a fourth member of the UNP to the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) but also to nominate him as a Minister.

The induction took place on Thursday half-an-hour before the President was to meet UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe for talks on the security situation.

"This clearly demonstrates the insincere approach of Mr. Rajapakse towards the peace process and how much he values the cooperation of the main Opposition party," an agitated leader of the UNP Ravi Karunayake told The Hindu . He alleged that there had been serious and systematic attempts by the ruling alliance since the election of Mr. Rajapakse in November to lure the UNP MPs with inducements.

UNP Parliamentarian Suasntha Punchinilame representing Ratnapura district in the south, inducted as the Deputy Minister for Rural Economic Development, is the fourth one to cross over to the UPFA alliance in the last eight months. On Friday, another UNP Parliamentarian defected to the ruling alliance.

A spokesman of Mr. Rajapakse however refuted the charges and said the President was keen on taking every one on board in his endeavour towards the resolution of the ethnic conflict.

Emergency extended

Parliament on Thursday extended the State of Emergency for another month by a majority of 85 votes.

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