US, Norway deny Gota claims

11 February 2010 02:25 pm

The US and Norway have strongly denied claims raised by Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse that both countries had funded the election campaign of former Presidential candidate General Sarath Fonseka.

In a press release the Norwegian Embassy stated; that in reference to the interview of Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse carried by Straits Times 11th February, they wished to point out that the accusations made against Norway were untrue.

The statement had added that “Norway has never and will never interfere with other countries’ elections or in any way try to undermine or oust a democratically elected government and president”.

It also said that its ambassador Mr. Tore Hattrem had today brought up the issue with the Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Embassy of the United States meanwhile in a press release strongly stated that there was “no truth to the Sri Lankan Defense Secretary’s claims that the U.S. provided financial support to the opposition candidate in Sri Lanka’s presidential election.”

The statement drew attention to previous statements by the U.S. Embassy, wherein which they had stated that the United States backed no candidate but strongly supported a free, fair, and credible democratic process.


It added that in the same spirit the US Embassy now “urge the Sri Lankan Government to protect the rights of those who supported the opposition or other candidates in the election and to ensure the safety and security of representatives of the press.”


The Embassy statement further read that the “free expression of opinion and peaceful participation in the political process are fundamental democratic rights, which all citizens of Sri Lanka should enjoy.”


Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapkse in an interview published today by the Straits Times of Singapore had said that losing opposition common candidate Sarath Fonseka’s candidature to the Presidential election was backed by the US and Norway.

 

For text on the Defence Secretary’s claims: http://www.dailymirror.lk/index.php/news/1572-sf-trial-soon-can-be-jailed-for-five-years.html