“UNP’S FALSE STATEMENT OF RECEIVING RENEGADE KARUNA’S SUPPORT IN THE EAST IS THE LAST STRAW OF A DROWNING MAN”
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles
March 26, 11.00 AM:Opposition political commentators in Colombo described the false statement by the Ranil Wickremesinghe led United National Front (UNF) of receiving assurances of the renegade Karuna faction of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as one last straw of a desperate man drowning in Sri Lanka’s turbulent political waters.
The United National Front announced Karuna’s support at the coming general elections but the Karuna faction of the LTTE has denied any support to the ruling political party.
The United National Party (UNP), the main constituent of the UNF in its official website in a news story datelined March 24 claimed, “Karuna has told a group of intellectuals who met him early this week that he intends supporting the United National Front (UNF) thorough TNA”
It is believed the news item was a fabrication of the Prime Minister’s media unit, which has become notorious for the unethical practice. In addition to fabrications the media unit also has been engaged in unofficial censoring of news that were intended for publication by newspapers. The most well known was a statement by the Mahanyaka Thero of Malwatte, against the Ranil Wickremesinghe government which was pulled out from the front page of the Sunday edition of the Island newspaper, few months ago.
While publishing the fabricated news the UNP website also counted their chicken by stating, “. An estimated 80,000 to 84,000 voters are living in the un-cleared areas in the east alone.” implying to receive those votes with Karuna’s support.
But Karuna’s faction told Island’s Namini Wijedasa, yesterday that they had no special preference towards any particular party contesting general elections and emphasized that they would work with whatever group that gained power on April 2.
"We have no personal interest in any particular party," said Varathan, spokesman for renegade rebel Karuna. "We do not need to seek any party and we are not involved in party politics,” the Island further reported.
"For practical purposes, we believe that it is important to have negotiations with the party in power," he elaborated. The report said Varathan was responding to a question asked whether the group was supporting Ranil Wickremesinghe led United National Front.(
