• Says will not participate in group meeting as they are in the opposition
• Meeting to be headed by President and Prime Minister

 By Chaturanga Samarawickrama   

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP Vasudeva Nanayakkara yesterday said that he had turned down the request made by the government to attend a group meeting that was scheduled to be held today.   

Addressing the media, he said he had received a telephone call yesterday requesting him to participate in the group meeting. The meeting is to be held at the new building auditorium of the Finance Ministry at 3.00 pm today.   
“I had received a call from a lady inviting me to participate in the group meeting. When I inquired about the group meeting, the caller said it was a group meeting arranged by the ruling party. “The meeting is headed by the President and the Prime Minister,” he said.   

“I did not reply to the caller as she was just the messenger. However, I must say to the whole country that I will not participate in that group meeting because we are in the opposition,” said MP Nanayakkara   

Therefore, I apologise for the inconvenience caused to the caller for inviting me to that meeting. Answering a question raised by a journalist, MP Nanayakkara said that 158 individuals in the parliament were invited to that meeting.   

“I believe the government will try and convince the opposition MPs who voted in their favour, or the government may seek the opposition MPs who were part of the 134 votes cast in the opposition’s favour,” MP Nanayakkara added.