by Rasika Somaratne

President Mahinda Rajapaksa emphasised that he would never allow the subjugation of the freedom achieved and the democracy protected by sacrificing thousands of precious lives. Speaking at a massive public rally in Polonnaruwa on Tuesday, President Rajapaksa said he was confident that the people would rise against such attempts and would never allow the ugly head of terrorism to rise again or attempts to divide the country to succeed.

He told the gathering that another secret pact, hatched with the intention of propagating divisions within the country, has now come into being and that it should be nullified at the January 26 election.

While charging that elements who failed to divide the country through military means today were striving to win over their desired objectives in some other forms, the President cautioned the masses to be aware of such conspiracies. It is also the duty of all people to defeat such treacherous treaties, he added. He emphasised that supporting such moves would amount to a betrayal of the country and urged the public to give a proper reply to such sinister moves through their verdict at the January 26 election.

The President also stressed that he would not allow any force to revitalise the LTTE on this soil in the future.

“In addition to defeating terrorism, we also launched massive development programs throughout the country.” In the not too distant future both present and future generation would reap the benefits of this massive development drive.

Today some elements who have scented imminent defeat are trying to sow seeds of hatred and violence within the country. Without falling prey to such attempts, join me to build on the hard-earned victory and take the country towards a brighter future,” he added.

by Indika Polkotuwa and Asela Kuruluwansa

Sarath Fonseka who was robed in white cloth and brought in as a mega leader in the form of a bo sapling was no other person than the new agent of multinational companies, New Left Front Presidential candidate Dr. Wickramabahu Karunaratne said.

These multinational companies took him to USA and then directed him to come back on his mission. If he did so, they assured him that charges against him would be dropped and he would be released, Dr. Karunaratne said at a Presidential Election rally held at the Central Market, Kandy recently. Fonseka toured the North and East and has now formed a strange feeling of sympathy for the people living there. “Those days I told them that those displaced people should be immediately resettled.

Today, Fonseka says he’ll do the same thing if he comes to power.

“Today Sarath Fonseka says he will bring about total justice and fairness. What he cannot accomplish today is to give new life to our dead war heroes. He gives all other promises on earth”, Dr. Karunaratne said.

These people are trying to hoodwink the Tamil people, he said. Independent Presidential candidate M. K. Sivajilingam was also present.

The subtle aim of the TNA is to obtain a self-governing unit for the North and the East through Ranil Wickremesinghe’s intervention by getting a retired general elected to power, Vocational and Technical Training Minister Piyasena Gamage said at a seminar held in Balapitiya.

Addressing the gathering at the seminar which was jointly organised by the Southern Province Sri Lanka Nidahas Volunteer Teachers Union and the Nidahas Graduate Teachers Organisation, Minister Gamage said all patriotic people should rally round the President to safeguard the hard-won freedom because the UNP was trying to topple President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his Government in connivance with unpatriotic forces and international conspirators.

He said the Government had called the Presidential Election after gaining a convincing victory in a series of provincial and local elections. Most of the people earlier considered the LTTE as an invincible outfit, with roots going back over 32 years. But when the President defeated terrorism within a few years after assuming office, those pessimists who supported terrorism were astounded. Today an environment had been created for people to walk freely anywhere in the country sans fear and suspicion.

Minister Gamage said President Mahinda Rajapaksa would be re-elected to office at the forthcoming election with a convincing mandate because the vast majority of people continued to have faith in him.

by M.P.Muttiah

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) had not withdrawn their 2002 and 2004 Election Manifestos, and what has the JVP and Sarath Fonseka got to say about this, asked Media and Information Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa at a news conference.

The Minister pointed out that the TNA in its election manifesto put forward four important points: Recognition of Tamils as a distinct nationality, Establishing a Tamil homeland, Rights to self-determination and Fundamental rights. They did not withdraw the above demands. Therefore, the Minister said the JVP and Fonseka should answer whether the TNA withdrew their demands.

He said in 2005 Ranil Wickremesinghe, R. Sampanthan and Mano Ganeshan worked together. Wickremesinghe signed a CFA with the LTTE, Rauf Hakeem signed an agreement with the LTTE, Mano Ganeshan too was on the band-wagon of the LTTE. Sampanthan and the TNA acted as a proxy of the LTTE. Ranil never used the word LTTE but only bombers.

The Minister said Fonseka was tarnishing the image of the country around the world.

The Minister, answering a question on a video film cited by Philip Alston, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extra Judicial Killings, said anyone can use video tapes as they like.

There are covert moves by Western Powers to force an annulment of the Presidential Election scheduled for Tuesday, the Asian Tribune reported yesterday.

“The Western countries with their local agents in Sri Lanka are already moving ahead to force the Commissioner of Elections to announce the annulment of the Presidential Election,” the report said adding that the Asian Tribune learnt that a former Chief Justice, notorious for his controversial judgements, who is at present one of the advisors of the NDF candidate Sarath Fonseka, met a top official of the Commissioner of Elections office, to urge him to consider the annulment of the Presidential Election, it is learnt according to unofficial sources.

Certain Western countries, including notorious peace agents, are behind this secret move. According to the Asian Tribune report, these countries have conducted a secret poll and to their dismay, found that the incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa was popular and would be in a position to receive more than 60 percent of the total votes.

The news report further said. “After the results of the secret polls was revealed, these Western countries have hatched a plot to leak to the Western media that Fonseka is to win the Presidential Election convincingly and the ruling UPFA is bent on unleashing violence in the country to rob the victory of the Opposition candidate.”