UNP says no SOFA

• Two UNP MPs say no attempt to sign SOFA with US 
• Says attempts by Opposition to discredit Govt. 
• Defends MCC grant, questions why foreign assistance demonised

The United National Party (UNP) yesterday said the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) will not be signed between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Government of USA. 

Speaking to media at the Temple Trees UNP MP Hesha Withanage said the Government would follow the Standing Orders of the Parliament and any agreement that would sign with another nation will be reviewed by the Oversight Committee and will be open to the interest parties.  

Their statements come after the Prime Minister’s Office said on Sunday that a SOFA agreement had not been presented to Cabinet by the Defence Ministry and there was no effort to sign such an agreement between the US and Sri Lanka. “The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is a grant. It will help to develop the country and benefits will go to citizens. Actually, we requested that from US Government, therefore there is nothing to be afraid about this agreement,” he said.

He charged the opposition had been spreading rumours of the MCC grant to gain political benefits. He noted the MCC agreement would help to the transportation sector of the country and to set up a database of country’s lands, which according to him benefit for future development projects. 

He argued this was not the first time Sri Lanka has received a grant and numerous development projects were carried out throughout the country’s history. “The Mahaweli Development program was carried out with the assistance of foreign nations and this is not the first development project that will be carried out with foreign assistance. Therefore this is a program, which helps Sri Lanka and its citizens.”

Meanwhile, MP Chaminda Wijesiri said the opposition was attempting to tarnish the reputation of the Government. According to Wijesiri, the Opposition’s charges was an attempt to mislead the. 

“We have been able to quickly recover from the Easter Sunday attack, therefore the Opposition has run out of topics to criticise the Government on and as a result of that they are trying to come up with false accusation against the Government,” he said.