Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)

WOULD GIVE AN ‘EARSPLITTI­NG SLAP’

IF ANYONE ASKS WHETHER SHE’LL JOIN UNP

- BY SANDUN A. JAYASEKERA

There are attempts by interested parties to push me into the UNP on the pretext of discrimina­tion meted out to me within the party

Former president Chandrika Kumaratung­a said yesterday she would give an ‘Ear-splitting Slap’ to anyone who asks whether she would join the UNP.

“I have many a time said that I would never join the UNP nor any other political party. In the recent past there were attempts by interested parties and individual­s to push me into the UNP on the pretext of discrimina­tion meted out to me within the party. This is the party in which I started politics and conclude my political journey with the SLFP when I retire,” she said at a ceremony organized by the SLFP’S women’s wing to mark the World Women’s Day last morning (8) under the theme ‘A Country Free of Drugs and Alcohol – A happy Nest’ at the Viharamaha­devi Park in Colombo.

She further said the SLFP has the ability and skills to come to power with a sound management of the party, by strengthen­ing party organizati­ons at the grass roots level.

“Why should we leave the SLFP to join any other party, just because they say they follow Bandaranai­ke policies. Do we need to murder people, embezzle public money and engage in corruption once again? In the last four months, there were attempts to remove me from the party, but I would not leave the SLFP until my death,” she said.

When it was extremely difficult to remain in the SLFP, she said they formed the Mahajana Paksaya, but never joined the UNP or any other party. There were threats to kidnap our daughter, she said.

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