By Anura Maitipe

Five more senior UNP parliamentarians will join the Government when the vote on the budget is taken in parliament, Minister of Plantation Industries D. M. Jayaratne told the Sunday Observer.

These UNP Parliamentarians have vehemently opposed the statement by UNP spokesman Lakshman Kiriella that "any bull can fight a war" and added that it was a great insult to the brave soldiers who fought against the LTTE terrorists in the North and East, the Minister said.

They have condemned the move by the UNP leadership to tarnish the good image of the country by spreading false propaganda among the international community to thwart the government's move to liberate innocent civilians from the LTTE clutches, he said.

The senior UNP parliamentarians have expressed their dissatisfaction to the UNP leadership for not taking a firm decision on the national issue of the country and on these grounds they have decided to quit the party during the vote to support the Government in its efforts to defeat LTTE terrorism and unite all communities, he said.

Courtesy - Sunday Observer