The United National Party (UNP) says that certain Ministers including the country’s Higher Education Minister S. B. Dissanayake are behaving in a highly unintelligent manner regarding the casino issue.

UNP parliamentarian Harin Fernando stated that they are acting in such manners for their own interest and benefit.

He stated that the government is preparing to establish casinos in the country while the masses are not provided any concessions and that the UNP is completely against starting casinos in Sri Lanka.

He pointed out that the UNP has no objections towards granting approval for new hotel projects and that they only oppose attempts to launch casinos under the guise of hotel ventures.  

Speaking at a press conference in Colombo today (25), Fernando also alleged that the internal crisis within the ruling UPFA was clearly visible at the cabinet meeting yesterday (24) and that the first volley has been fired for the defeat of the government.

On the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) taking place in Sri Lanka, Harin Fernando stated that the summit without the participation of Canada and India is similar to ‘a wedding without the bride’.   

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has decided to boycott the upcoming Commonwealth summit — scheduled for November— in protest over the island nation’s human rights record while Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has still not confirmed his participation.

Singh is being pressured by Tamil Nadu politicians including Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa to follow in the footsteps of the Canadian PM.

Fernando stated that world leaders cannot be deceived by giving away free food and beverages like ‘dansal’ as they are an intelligent group.