Prime Minister Rajapakse and Minister Anura Bandaranaike

The minister said this in a letter sent to President Chandrika Kumaratunge.

"I write to you in your capacity as the president of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party about an extremely serious matter which has arisen in the last 24 hours", the letter stated.

The Minister was referring to two media reports on October 23rd; one on Thinakkural newspaper and another TV report.

Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle has, in an interview with the Tamil newspaper; "Thinakkural" allegedly said that if Minister Bandaranaike continued to avoid political campaign meetings of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse they, the mps would have to name JVP MP, Wimal Weerawansa as prime minister.

Unacceptable

"I find these comments totally abhorrent, obnoxious and unacceptable", Minister Bandaranaike stated in his letter.

Minister Bandaranaike has also referred to a TV report which has said Minister Anura Bandaranaike is not supportive of Mahinda Rajapaske's candidature and that somebody else should be named as prime minister designate.

"A letter has been apparently addressed to me which was read out on TV last night by a man calling himself Nirmala Kotalawela as a deputy minister whom I have not seen nor spoken in my life" , the letter stated.

Minister Bandaranaike in an interview with Sandesaya said that the central committee of the Sri lanka Freedom Party and at the annual convention of the party it was unanimously decided that he (Anura Bandaranaike) should be the prime ministerial candidate.

"I never asked for it. It was given by the SLFP", he said.

He said certain individuals at the behest of other individuals have been making statements since Monday, the 24th saying that they are going to make someone else the prime minister.

Also he said that a senior minister in the cabinet has made serious allegations against me (Anura Bandaranaike) and the president for attempting to defeat Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse.

"We have always asked people to vote for Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse and clarified the SLFP policy, Minister Bandaranaike added.

Distorted report

Minister of Trade and Commerce, Jeyaraj Fernandopulle reacting said that the interview given to the Tamil newspaper "Thinakkural" has been distorted.

"It is true that I gave an interview but I never made a statement against Minister Anura Bandaranaike", Minister Jeyaraj Fernadopulle told Sandesaya.

"Of course the newspaper company has agreed to carry a correction of the report", he added.

Minister Fernandopulle said that there has been no move by anybody to change the decision taken by the Central Committee of the SLFP to nominate Anura Bandaranaike as prime minister.

Asked whether Anura Bandaranaike has been involved sufficiently in the election campaign he said his contribution is not satisfactory.