Sarath K ridicules Sarath F's loose talk
United National Altranative Front's Presidential candidate Sarath
Kongahage expressed the following views at his first electronic and
print media briefing held at SLFI recently:
Sarath Kongahage |
I decided to contest the forthcoming Presidential elections in order
to represent the interest of the "silent" UNPers.
A critical situation has arisen in the country since moves are afoot
to bring our soldiers before an international criminal court for alleged
war crimes. We ought to neutralize this trend!
Presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka's controversial statement to
the Sunday Leader has turned to be a very serious matter. The Sunday
Leader editor stuck to her position that General Sarath Fonseka made the
alleged statement which has given room for Defence Secretary and top
military officers to be prosecuted for alleged war crimes.
Suppose the UDF candidate wins the election. There can be a political
struggle for power-sharing which might eventually end up in a military
dictatorship. Therefore, it is vital to safeguard democracy in the
country.
Karu Jayasuriya who having returned to the UNP said the government
prosecutes the war well but not development programmes. My point is, now
that the war is over why should we have a war veteran to develop the
country.
My desire as a presidential candidate is to deliver the country from
the politics of hatred.
To a question by a mediaman that though he represents the voice of
the 'silent' UNPers, yet what he said was pro-government and as such
will the "voiceless lot" vote for him, he admitted that if what he
uttered favoured the government, that is reality!
Asked whether he would withdraw from the contest on the verge of
elections,he made an emphatic 'no'.
Referring to General Sarath Fonseka's dual citizenship, Kongahage
said it was the Sunday Leader which first spoke about the former's green
card. Later in its November 5th issue the Sunday Leader writer, Michael
Hardy said General Sarath Fonseka returned from USA after having his
green card renewed and if he was confident of his victory he should have
renounced his Green Card. If he is defeated he would go back to USA.
Kongahage said in the Sunday Times of November 8, that Sinha
Ratnatunga wrote on, "The Dangers of Dual Citizenship." My question is
can one with dual citizenship be the President of this country? he
posed. He assured that steps were being taken to seek legal advice on
this matter.
"If I am a person who has consented to abide by the basic law of an
another country I believe, I have no obligation to be the President of
the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka," he said.
After the war at a certain stage General Sarath Fonseka claimed that
he "sent back" a ship carrying military hardware worth over millions as
it was not necessary to purchase weapons after the war was over and
clearly saved a sum of Rupees 200 million to the country. Later Fonseka
contradicted himself when he told Sirasa TV "No, I got them down." I
have all these in my files which you can peruse yourself, Kongahage
said.
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