By Zacki Jabbar
United Lalith Front (ULF) leader Srimani Athulathmudali regards Ravi Karunanyaka's attendance at the UNP convened conference on Free and Fair Elections held recently a 'non event' even though he had not obtained permission from the party.

Mrs. Athulathmudali dismissed reports that a special meeting of her party's Working Committee has been summoned for Friday to discuss this matter. "That meeting was scheduled much earlier" she said.

However she indicated that she will stress the need for maintaining party discipline at Friday's meeting.

"I think Ravi in his youth didn't realise the importance of obtaining the party's permission to attend the UNP consultation. It is common courtesy to attend meetings you are invited to but in this instance it should have been a party decision".

Asked why the ULF did not attend the UNP Consultation, Athulathmudali said that in the first place she did not receive a written invitation and besides there were no documents or agenda to be discussed.

"My idea of an APC is that there should be certain documents to be discussed, without which it would become a meeting. We would have had no problem attending a meeting but the verbal invitation I received from UNP Chairman Karu Jayasuriya over the telephone came too late for it to be discussed by the party. In any case I was already scheduled to attend another meeting on the day the UNP held its consultations".

Mrs. Athulathmudali said she refused certain other members of her party permission to attend the UNP consultations because the ULF as a party was unable to meet and take a decision on the matter.