My friendship with Wijetunga used as a bridge for Gamini D to return to UNP

Brief period as Chairman of Lake House

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I was keen to make changes at Lake House with the concurrence of a very cooperative Board which included Edward Gunawardene who had retired after a distinguished career in the Police service. The General Manager was Amaradasa, the son of my old friend K. G. Amaradasa, who had been the administrative secretary of the State Literary Bureau in the sixties. It so happened that I was able to commission the giant Rotary press which had been ordered by my predecessor. This enabled our newspapers to be printed closer to distribution deadlines so that we could carry up to date news thereby beating our rivals in that department.

At this stage President Wijetunga re-established his friendship with me. Though welcomed by the media and Colombo society he was getting increasingly isolated in the UNP of which he had now become leader by happenstance. Sirisena Cooray had fallen out with him as Wijetunga did not want to portray himself as a stooge of former President Premadasa. The latter had been contemptuous of him after achieving his objective of using him to dislodge Gamini and Lalith. The new Presidents chief confidant at this stage was Tilak Marapone, a kinsman who had been the Attorney General. He also had several businessmen friends like Susil Moonesinghe, "Yasoda" Kasturiaratchi and Earl Gunasekera.