UNPers puzzled over why Thalatha was not taken to Qatar

In United National Party (UNP) circles, the talk is why Foreign Employment Minister Thalatha Athukorale did not find a place in President Maithripala Sirisena’s entourage during the two-day visit to Qatar.

There are about 130,000 Sri Lankan workers in that Arab Gulf state. Unlike the ‘tie-coat’ working class the President had met, the bulk of the workers are those who toil in the desert sun spread out in many parts of that country. They rely heavily on the Foreign Employment Ministry for their well-being.

For at least one member of the delegation, the trip came in handy. He wedged in his own programme whilst taking part in some of President Sirisena’s engagements. One night, the man slipped out to address a meeting of Muslim youth at the Islamic Centre in Doha.