The United National Party (UNP) has instructed all members of the party to boycott a function organised by the Sri Lankan government, as the Chair in Office of the Commonwealth, to mark the Sinhala and Tamil New Year.
The invitation has been extended by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to all members of Parliament for a function to “celebrate the cultural diversity of the Commonwealth to mark the Sinhala and Tamil New year” on April 26, 2014 at Temple Trees.
The UNP Leadership Council decided to instruct all members of the party to boycott the event on the grounds that the present government, led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, has “grossly violated all values and principles governing the Commonwealth of Nations,” the UNP said.
“The UNP is of the strong belief that the government has no right to host events related to Commonwealth when its own actions continuously contravene basic tenets of democracy and good governance, that it is bound to uphold as Chair in Office,” the party said in a statement today.
“Therefore, no UNP member will be present at the ceremony and the party, without any reservations will boycott the event,” it said.
