Leader of the Jathika Hela Urumaya, Omalpe Sobhitha Thera today said that former JHU Deputy General Secretary Udaya Gammanpila was instrumental in drafting the MOUs the party signed with other stakeholders of the common opposition.

Speaking to reporters in Colombo, Sobhitha Thera said Gammanpila did not utter a word against the MOUs or their terms and consitions when he was in the Jathka Hela Urumaya. Gammanpila resigned from his party membership yesterday and extended his support to President Mahidna Rajapaksa for the forthcoming presidential election.

“The MOU with Common Candidate Maithripala Sirisena was signed with the full consent of the Central Committee of the party and everyone unanimously agreed with it. Ten days after the signing of the agreement, Gammanpila has suddenly started talking about contradiction. When I asked him, two days ago, whether he had any issue with the agreement he did not show any sign of discontentment,” Sobhitha Thera said, criticizing the conduct of the party’s former Deputy General Secretary.

Sobhitha Thera added that Gammanpila decision had nothing to do with his principles. It was fully based on personal reasons and aspirations.

JHU General Secretary Patali Champika Ranawaka, who addressed the same press conference said, the government cannot stop the “battle” for democracy and good-governance by buying over members of the common opposition. “We first presented our proposals to the President and he rejected them. Then we went to the Common Candidate and he agreed to implement them within a certain period of time. It was on those grounds that we decided to support the Common Candidate,” Ranawaka said.