Former deputy leader of Sri Lanka's main opposition says report on party headquarters attack is prejudiced

Former Deputy Leader of Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP), Karu Jayasuriya says that the report on the attack on the party headquarters, Sirikotha, is a 'culmination of a pre-conceived partial course of action.' Jayasuriya issuing a statement has said,
'It is apparent that this is an attempt to submit a pre-determined set of recommendations in the guise of a report.' The statement is Jayasuriya's official response to the report handed by the President's Counsel Srinath Perera-led committee that probed the attack where members of the pro-reforms group have been accused of initiating the attack on the party headquarters last December. "The Committee has forgotten or deliberately ignored the fact that on the day of the election, it was prohibited for any outsiders to remain within Siri Kotha premises other than the members of the working committee and their security personnel," Jayasuriya pointed out in his response. "The Committee has failed to observe that through the evidence or photographs, that there were a group of persons remaining within the Siri Kotha premises unlawfully on the day of the election. It is not reported, why they did not inquire to find out how these persons entered the Siri Kotha premises prior to elections and how they remained inside the premises carrying iron bars and why no one has taken any action to remove them," he noted. "It was reported in the media how the unarmed people and ladies were assaulted and chased by these groups who remained within Siri Kotha premises unlawfully. If the Committee remains silent when things happen in this manner, what is the real intention of the Committee? The Committee intends to say that these people were organized and directed by us. That is why we state that the report of the Committee is biased," Jayasuriya has explained. He has said that on the day of the attack, there were groups loyal to party leader Ranil Wickremasinghe and those who opposed him at the venue. Hundreds of party members, mostly supporters of Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa, pelted stones at the party headquarters and stormed inside breaking gates in protest soon after hearing the re-appointment of Ranil Wickremasinghe as the party leader December 19, 2011. Eighteen people had been identified as those who acted in a boisterous or violent manner and 50 others as being present among the crowd when the attack took place. According to Jayasuriya, members of the UNP need to think if the party meted out justice without double standards while blaming the government of these wrongs. "We blame the Government for adopting double standards in meting out justice. The way things are happening, we have to ask ourselves whether similar situation prevail within our party."� "We wish to stress that we must get away from the policy of attacking selected individuals and strive hard to bring together those who have different views to common policy. If we fail to do so, we will be rejected as a political party by the masses. We wish to emphasize that we will devote ourselves until the last moment to fulfill the hopes and expectations of the larger majority of the people and the members of the UNP and to promote unity within the party," Jayasuriya has finally stated.