REFUGEE

Sources from Temple Trees say that senior SLFP organizers in the Kurunegala Distrcit have opposed the Preisdnet’s decision to appoint UNP parliamentarian Johnston Fernando as an SLFP organizer to the Kurunegala electorate.

Johnston declined the President’s offer to appoint him to parliament through the UPFA national list after the next general election and asked he be appointed as an SLFP organizer for Kurunegala to contest the election. Although the President had a discussion about the matter with SLFP’s Kurunegala electoral organizer, Minister Jayaratne Herath, he had not been amenable to the President’s request.

Sources also said Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa has already stated that it was impossible to promote Johnston after the Defence Secretary accused him of having links with the LTTE