International
UNP Minister dead
By Nirupama Subramanian
COLOMBO, JAN. 1. The ruling United National Party (UNP) in Sri Lanka today lost an active and efficient organiser in the death of Gamini Athukorale, deputy leader of the party and a Minister in the new Government.
He died in his sleep of a heart attack early this morning in Ratnapura, his constituency in south-central Sri Lanka, where he had gone to be with his supporters on new year day.
Gamini Athukorale was a tireless member of the UNP and one of the main personalities behind much of the political manoeuvering that went on last year as the Opposition launched a movement to oust the People's Alliance Government.
His efforts paid off when the President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunga, was forced to dissolve Parliament and call an election, which the UNP won decisively.
After the victory, Athukorale became Minister of Transport, Highways and Civil Aviation.
But he devoted much of his energies to planning moves to remove Ms. Kumaratunga from the Executive Presidency, and to expose various alleged misdeeds of the PA Government.
In a sense, it was Athukorale who pushed the UNP leader, Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe, into turning the heat on the PA last June.
He had been among those who challenged Mr. Wickremesinghe's leadership of the party earlier in the year, and criticised him for letting slip opportunities to politically take on the PA Government.
Though Mr. Wickremesinghe's closest friends in the party are polished technocratic professionals far removed from the rough-and-ready types, the UNP leader had a healthy respect for Athukorale's abilities as a politician and carried him along despite differences.
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