Unity Govt. will look into alleged agreement between MR and Emil: JHU

A national unity government under Maithripala Sirisena would look into the reports on incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s alleged agreement with LTTE front man Emil Kanthan prior to the 2005 presidential election, said Jathika Hela Urumaya general secretary Patali Champika Ranawaka today.


A national unity government under Maithripala Sirisena would look into the reports on incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s alleged agreement with LTTE front man Emil Kanthan prior to the 2005 presidential election, said Jathika Hela Urumaya general secretary Patali Champika Ranawaka today.


He said government bigwig Basil Rajapaksa was alleged to have had discussions with Emil Kanthan and that Rs. 700 million which was meant to be used as tsunami compensation had been wired to Emil Kanthan to ensure the victory of President Rajapaksa.    


Addressing a media briefing at the New Democratic Front presidential candidate Maithripala Sirisena’s office in Thimbirigasyaya, Mr. Ranawaka said they would also take legal action against Kumaran Pathmanathan alias KP and those who had links with terrorism but had not been interrogated or penalised.


“Though the government alleges that the common opposition is promoting terrorism and separatism, it is actually the government which is pampering and nurturing those who have links with terrorism -- such as KP. We will take legal action against these offenders,” he said.


He said Visvanathan Rudrakumaran, the prime minister of the Provisional Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE), was already opposed to the common opposition because it had rejected separatism and was promoting unitary state.


Commenting on the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) decision to back Mr. Sirisena, he said there was no secret pact between the SLMC and Mr. Sirisena as alleged by the government.


“The only agreement we have is our election manifesto. Anyone who joins us will have to abide by that. We have not made allowance for any separate administration in Ampara District in the manifesto,” he said.      


He said the JHU would not allow separatist and extremist forces to harm the unitary status of the country.


He said parties and people should team up with the common opposition to solve the problems faced by the general publicand not to resolve issues of a specific ethnic group.


JHU chairman, the Ven. Athuraliya Rathana Thera said that the government had forgotten to give priority to Buddhism and was promoting immoral activities such as casinos and consumption of ethanol instead. (Lahiru Pothmulla)