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Message: <blockquote data-quote="rapa" data-source="post: 716955" data-attributes="member: 212">The Nation: Did you have any initial hesitation with regard to the MoU signed between the UNP and the SLFP (M) ?S.B. Disanayake: Yes I did. The biggest problem was not the fault of the leader of the party. (So, there is a fault of the leader of the party?) It just so happened that I was completely out of the political loop, I had taken a break from party actively, because my eldest (Ring some bells of Montero accidents) son was getting married and all my attention was focused on the preparations for that wedding.So, I was not really aware of what was going on in terms of this new alliance with the SLFP (M), so yes I did have some reluctance at the outset.Nation: Did you see a draft of the MoU before it was signed on July 19th?S.B: No I did not . I think that was the biggest mistake that was made. It was a serious oversight by the party leader that the MoU was not openly discussed by the political affairs committee and the working committee of the party.If the issue had been discussed with the party as a whole, the problems that have arisen today would simply not have come into play. (So now they have come into play?)It is not only me, but everybody in the party had a degree of hesitation and concern when the MoU was first reveled to us.Nation: Who drafted the MoU according to your information?S.B: I am unaware of who drafted it.Nation: Do Any of the party members know who drafted the agreement.S.B: As far as I can see, the party chairman (Rukman Senanayake) appeared to have some knowledge of the drafting process.In fact, as soon as my son’s home coming was over, the party leader came to meet me and spoke to me of this matter. He explained a lot of things that day. As he said to me, Mangala and Sripathi are confident about being able to woo large number of SLFPers from the government. They are predicting numbers of 20 to 22. What Ranil is saying is that, we must all strengthen Mangala’s hand in order to instill the faith in the SLFP members and entice them to cross over to opposition (The typical opportunist; Ranil)Nation: Didn’t you tell close friends that you would have only the weather to talk about at last Thursaday’s rally? What was the reason for you to say that?S.B: Some times, when you don’t have a clear understanding of a matter, it’s better for us to speak only of the weather, nature or wildlife (Laughs) (Note: I believe the remark on “wildlife” is related to Ranil’s recent statements about Thoppigala)It is better to talk about such things, than speaking publicly about things that we don’t know. (Oh, how pathetic)Nation: How have your relations with Mangala, been since you quit the SLFP?S.B: We had no relations. It was Mangala who sent me to jail, on behalf of Chandrika. It was Mangala who orchestrated the bribery case against me. It was Mangala who sent a helicopter to my house, took pictures and then published them in every newspaper and insulted me. (He still remember these things) So our relations were very bad then. But those things are not an obstacle to us joining forces at this juncture either (Huh! If I can come to power, I’ll marry my worst enemy: Ranil Chinthanaya)Nation: How do you feel about the role that former president CBK is supposed to play in this new alliance?S.B: I don’t have a problem with her helping us. Anyone’s help is more than welcome. (Bloody politics)Mangala and I will have problems over CBK, but for the moment, that is not an obstacle towards the greater goal (of regaining my civic rights)</blockquote>

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