11 February 2022 07:19 am
- Fears lives could be risked to win polls
- Concerns over conspiracy theories
- Past elections plagued with corruption
- Church considering legal options
The Catholic Church has raised concerns of the possibility of politicians putting the lives of the general public at risk to win an election.
Reverend Father Cyril Gamini Fernando told Daily Mirror in a live video interview that there have been claims of the Easter Sunday attacks being part of a conspiracy linked to the 2019 election. He said that if the conspiracy theories are true then the lives of the general public is at risk. Reverend Father Cyril Gamini Fernando said that past elections have been plagued with corruption.
The Catholic priest noted that in the past, money, liquor, roofing sheets and other perks have been offered to win an election. However, he said if the conspiracy theories are true then the Easter attacks could be seen as the first time a group of people were murdered targeting an election.
Reverend Father Cyril Gamini Fernando warned that if some people assume that such a tactic is a successful way to win an election then such a tactic can be used by others as well. He said that those accused of being part of the conspiracy linked to the Easter Sunday attacks must be arrested. The outspoken priest said that failing to arrest the conspirators linked to the Easter Sunday attacks is a threat to democracy in Sri Lanka.
Reverend Father Cyril Gamini Fernando also said that the church is in consultation with its lawyers to look at legal options to bring former Attorney General Dappula de Livera before court. He said that Dappula de Livera had claimed there was a conspiracy behind the Easter attacks and so that conspiracy must be revealed.
Minister of Public Security Sarath Weerasekera could not be reached for a comment. (Easwaran Rutnam)
The Catholic Church fears, if some claims related to the Easter Attacks are true, then peoples lives could be used in future to win an election#Srilanka #lka #CatholicChurch #EasterSundayattacks pic.twitter.com/NKr0AHxkoq
— DailyMirror (@Dailymirror_SL) February 11, 2022