The United National Party has condemned the arrest of SLPP National Organiser Namal Rajapaksa by Sri Lanka's anti-corruption body, claiming the move is politically motivated and timed to disrupt a scheduled party rally.
The United National Party issued a statement on September 4 criticising the arrest of Namal Rajapaksa, National Organiser of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) and Member of Parliament, by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC). Rajapaksa was arrested on Friday and remanded until September 18.
The UNP characterised the arrest as politically motivated, arguing it was designed to prevent an SLPP public rally scheduled for September 12 in Anuradhapura under Rajapaksa's leadership. The party drew a comparison between Rajapaksa's position and that of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, asserting both hold equivalent democratic rights to organise political gatherings and travel across the country.
In its statement, the UNP contended that restricting such rights would be incompatible with democratic governance and noted that younger voters particularly disapprove of such actions. The party further suggested that the government's actions reflected eroding public confidence, stating that "public support enjoyed by political leaders cannot be eliminated through arrests" and urging respect for legitimate political activity.