Eight UNP MPs likely to support proposed 18th amendment

*Defectors include Lakshman Seneviratne, Earl, Cader, Manusha Nanayakkara


*Sri Ranga wants to act independently
 
Informed sources told The Island last night that among those who had committed themselves to supporting President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s proposed constitutional amendments, which inter alia would give a sitting President the opportunity to contest any number of times, were UNP MPs Lakshman Seneviratne, Earl Gunasekera, Abdul Cader and Manusha Nanayakkara.


Kandy District UNP MP M. Haleem, a confidante of Abdul Cader was also being mentioned as a possible defector.Nuwara Eliya District UNP MP Sri Ranga, it is learnt, has said that he would take an independent decision on the proposed amendments.
Sources said that President Rajapaksa had also invited a UNP National List MP to join the government but he had refused.

Dayasiri Jayasekera,who has been in the forefront of reforms in the UNP, said that those who would for Rajapaksa’s proposed amendments were not only betraying the UNP but also the public who had elected them to office. "Meke Lajjanathi Wadak – this is what you call a shameless act."

The UNP Working Committee on Wednesday unanimously adopted a resolution mooted by Dayasiri Jayasekara that anyone violating the party decision to oppose the 18th amendment should be given the maximum punishment possible.

The government, which has 144 seats in parliament, had prior to yesterday obtained the support of the SLMC with eight MPs and two Opposition MPs, Prabha Ganeshan and P. Digambaram. (The Island)