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PM-FM: Anura wants written assurance
By Our Political Editor
Foreign Minister Anura Bandaranaike, who was due last night after a month-long holiday cum official visit abroad, has placed fresh demands if he is to support the candidature of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse at the November 17 presidential elections.

Mr. Bandaranaike, while holidaying in Singapore, had asked a close personal friend to convey his request for a written assurance that he would be made Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs if Mr. Rajapakse is elected President.

Though the request was that it be conveyed to Premier Rajapakse or his brother Basil, Foreign Minister Bandaranaike's friend had first made contact with Minister Mangala Samaraweera and placed the demands before him.

The Sunday Times learns Mr. Samaraweera explained his inability to take up the matter with the Prime Minister since the SLFP Central Committee had already decided Mr. Bandaranaike was the Prime Ministerial running mate. He had explained that this position had not changed and hence a further dialogue on the matter was not necessary.

The Sunday Times learns that Premier Rajapakse who learnt of Mr. Bandaranaike's demands informally had decided not to respond.
An aide said that in the first instance Mr. Bandaranaike who had been away from Sri Lanka for a month had made no contact with him nor made any such request directly.

Mr. Bandaranaike left Sri Lanka on September 10 as a member of his sister, President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga's delegation to the UN World Summit and the subsequent General Assembly sessions. Thereafter, with a short private visit to Washington D.C. he proceeded to Los Angeles on a private holiday. From there he went to Singapore.

His Private Secretary Onais Hafeel was summoned to Singapore from Colombo.
En route to New York, Mr. Bandaranaike issued a statement from London in which he refuted newspaper reports.

He said "After extensive discussions with the President, I have agreed with her proposal that the Sri Lanka Freedom Party should closely examine the recent agreements entered by Rajapakse with some parties and groups. If it does accept the interest of our party and its people and if the Sri Lanka Freedom Party so decides, I will extend my full support and campaign for Rajapakse on my return”.

Upon her return from the United States, President Kumaratunga chaired a meeting of the SLFP Central Committee. There a committee headed by Premier Rajapakse was named to draft the party's manifesto.
(Please see Political Column}

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