Not bothered about rival candidates: Sajith

The UNP led alliance’s presidential hopeful Sajith Premadasa yesterday said his rival candidate SLPP presidential hopeful Gotabaya Rajapaksa was not a concern for him.

Mr. Premadasa came up with this remark when journalists asked for his opinion on the petitions filed against the candidature of SLPP candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa at a news conference yesterday.

“What is important to me is my set of policies and not those of my rival candidates,” he said.

He also said he did not believe that filing of a case against Mr. Rajapaksa was political victimisation. He said the judiciary will not engage in acts of victimisation. “The judiciary meted out justice to the people during the October 26 political crisis and therefore one cannot say that the process of filing a case and delivering a judgment is an act of political victimisation,” he said.

Asked about the arrival of a US aircraft in Katunayake yesterday, Mr. Premadasa said he was not aware of it. “I am not aware of this aircraft and do not know whether it has any connection to the agreements which Sri Lanka is about to sign with the USA. I will support any international agreement which benefits Sri Lanka and will oppose agreements which would affect the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he said.

He also said former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s action of meeting disabled soldiers who were protesting in Fort and asking them to stop it was a confirmation that his party was behind the strikes and protests which have been going on during the past few days.

Meanwhile, former UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake and former Minister Neomal Perera who also participated in the news conference officially announced that they would support Mr. Premadasa at the next presidential election. (Yohan Perera)