Dayasiri was paid to cross over: Daya Gamage

26 July 2013 10:27 am Views - 9422

Eastern provincial councillor and United National Party (UNP) national organizer Daya Gamage today challenged former UNP MP Dayasiri Jayasekara to an open debate, at which he said he would prove the allegations made against Mr. Jayasekara.

Mr. Gamage, said he had ample evidence to prove that Mr. Jayasekara was offered a vast amount of money to crossover from the UNP.

“I challenge Mr. Dayasiri for an open debate about everything he has said over the past few days. He was offered a lot of money to crossover. The government made this deal because they were scared of the elections to North-Western Provincial Council,” Mr. Gamage said.

He said he doubted Mr. Jayasekara’s integrity, which was what had prompted him to contest him in the first place for the post of National Organiser and why he won it overwhelmingly.

Mr. Gamage said Mr. Jayasekara’s character could be gauged when you consider how a person who was a one-time vociferous critic of the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Government does a U-turn and pledge his allegiance to those whom he once criticised out of hand.

“Mr. Jayasekera found fault with the Hambantota audit report, the Mattala airport and the Sooriyawewa cricket grounds and he alleged that the contracts were procured for the benefit of Namal Rajapaksa,” Mr. Gamage said and added that it was a mistake to have had such people in the party.

He said the UNP would strive to refrain from making the same mistake again. He said there were many government members who were keen to cross over to the UNP but were reluctant to do so because they feared being abducted or killed.

“Some 58 government members have spoken to me about crossing over saying they were unhappy at the way this Government was functioning,” Mr. Gamage said and added that at the rate this Government was going in the wrong direction with mismanagement, nepotism and corruption, the people would be compelled to take to the streets and raise a public outcry. (Jehan Gunasekara)