Fourteen political parties in Sri Lanka support General Fonseka, opposition says

Fourteen political parties in the opposition alliance United National Front (UNF) have pledged to work for the retired defence chief General Sarath Fonseka at the forthcoming presidential election, the General Secretary of the United National Party (UNP) Tissa Attanayake said at a media briefing convened by the UNF in Colombo yesterday.


Attanayake said the general assembly of the United National Front convened Friday morning (27) unanimously decided to field General Sarath Fonseka as the Common Candidate.


"We look forward to present a bill to abolish the executive Presidency within a month's time after the victory of Sarath Fonseka. We also expect to pass it within 180 days. If necessary we will also go for a public referendum to abolish the executive Presidency."


The leader of Sri Lanka Freedom Party Mahajana Wing (SLFP-M), MP Mangala Samaraweera speaking at the assembly said the myth that the Marxist party Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and the UNP cannot come to an agreement has been shattered.


"They thought that the UNP and the JVP will never meet at a common front for a common aim. They also thought that the Tamil vote and support of the Tamil political parties could not be obtained if a person like Sarath Fonseka contests. However all those things have been shattered," he said.


Commenting on the Common Candidate, Nissam Kariyappar said, the supreme committee of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) reached a common agreement with regard to the Common Candidate.


"The Supreme Committee also requested that Sarath Fonseka possesses a good understanding about the minority parties as the common candidate. Therefore a need has now arisen for our party members to meet him directly and brief him regarding the matter," Kariyappar said.


The party leader and other supreme committee members of the SLMC will visit the Eastern Province and create awareness on the main aim of fielding Sarath Fonseka as the Common candidate and also state their expectations, he added.


"Accordingly our party leader Rauff Hakeem and other members will visit the East. After that they expect to meet the Common Candidate Sarath Fonseka and brief him," he said.