Sri Lanka: Rajapaksa - Karu clash reaches its climax

Sri Lanka Public Administration Minister Karu Jayasuriya is considering either re join the opposition UNP or quit the politics altogether, according to reliable political sources in the capital Colombo.
He was severely reprimand by the President Rajapaksa recently. In a meeting of the UNP dissidents who crossed over to the government last week, he said, he was similarly reprimanded on several other occasions by President Rajapaksa, and found it demeaning to his dignity and self respect.
He also said that another occasion he was even reprimanded in the presence of a well-known business tycoon. Mr. Jayasuriya said he had no alternative but to re join the UNP if it was willing to accommodate him with a responsible position in the party.
Mr. Jayasuriya also said that the failure to implement the 17th Amendment to the Constitution was particularly painful, in addition to the controversy over the appointment of government agents. He also referred to a press conference the President gave in his presence in the run up to the NCP provincial poll which was extremely embarrassing.
Meanwhile the Opposition UNP leader, Mr. Wickremesinghe told UNP members at the party’s 53rd annual convention, "I request those who left our party to come back, and I ask our former deputy leader Karu Jayasuriya to forget the past and come back in order to defeat the government."
At this convention at Dehiwela Urban Council grounds, the UNP constitution was amended to reintroduce the posts of deputy and assistant leader, and the next meeting of the WC will appoint persons to these posts.
Meanwhile there are speculations in the political circles in the capital Colombo that Mr. Jayasuriya might re join the UNP together with a few others after the budget debate which is to be concluded Monday and their decision is to be announced at a news conference soon.