I never stab leaders in the back: SF

Democratic Party (DP) Leader Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka who joined the UNP today said he is not a person who stabs his leaders in the back.

Fonseka who was speaking at a ceremony held to mark his entry into the UNP said he had to confront his leader while in the army and he did it openly. “ I had to confront my leader while in the army and I confronted him directly without stabbing him in the back,” he said.

He said he became a strength to the UNP by agreeing to become the common candidate at the presidential elections in 2010. “ I am close to the UNP as it is the party which brought me to politics. Everyone knows about the beginning of my political career,” he said.

“ It was I who said just after the presidential elections of 2015 that UNP should have a say in the administration of the country when others were silent,” he said . He recalled that there were people such as Arjuna Ranatunga, Rajitha Senaratne at former President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s residence when he made this statement.

He said he had three personal ambitions including defeating the Rajapaksa regime and establishing good governance ( Yahapalanaya).

"I talked of Yahapalanaya on stage in 2010 before anyone else” he said adding that he had achieved them today despite not having any significant personal achievements.

However he said he decided to join the UNP as it was the need of the hour as the ugly head of the previous regime still haunts the country. “We defeated the Rajapaksa’s but they still haunt and we have to see that the country is freed from evil,” he added. (Yohan Perera)