Not that
I am a traitor ....
Dayasiri Jayasekera, m.p. who leaves UNP and joins the government addressed the media a short while ago and said that he would be changing his Party after making a statement in parliament this afternoon, and thus announced his decision.
What he told about his decision to the media was that he hopes to compete for the position of Chief Minister of the North West district with the intention of serving the public by resigning from his present position of member of parliament. He says that he would not leave the Party and that though he has the opportunity of securing a ministerial post in the government and carry on his duties in the future, he would not do so and that he would leave the voting aspect with the leader; that he would not be a traitor but would try to find the preference of the public. He also says that he would maintain the respect of the UNP as he has done so far; that he does not want to tar the image of the UNP by this decision.
He also says that young leaders have become disappointed because of the disrespect shown him by Party leadership and that the only thing that the UNP does is cover their mistakes; that the Party functions in a dictatorial manner. Anybody who goes to a PC is someone who has collapsed and that he is not accepting a ministerial post because of the public. He says that there is no other alternative and that the supporters of the Party would decide that the decision he takes is correct. On this occasion when considering the preference of the public, he believes that both the UNP and the SLFP of Kurunegala are on his side. While he says that the President respects the opinion of the public and treats him with a better yardstick to him who has obtained 132000 votes from the UNP ticket, the position of Chief Minister of the UNDF has not been announced. However some promise had been made by the President and that he is aware that he takes this decision because of that reason.
See how Dayasiri has expressed his ideas to News First in this connection.