Putting forward Maithripala, an underhand act

by P. Krishnaswamy

The latest political scenario where the UNP and its allies have put forward former Health Minister and SLFP General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena as an Opposition common candidate to run for the January 8 presidential poll is an underhand act of conservative and imperialistic international forces to bring about a regime change, Science and Technology Minister Prof. Tissa Vitharana told the Sunday Observer yesterday.

These forces have been seeking such a change for a longtime to implement their neo-liberal agenda (neo-colonial agenda) to serve their interests, he said.

Despite Sirisena's intention to scrap the Executive Presidency and introduce electoral reforms, the UNP is very unlikely to repeal its own 1978 Constitution but would instead retain it to achieve some of its objectives, Prof. Vitharana said.

As the leader of the LSSP Prof Vitharana has pledged to support President Mahinda Rajapaksa running for a third term because he never bowed down to the pressure tactics of the US-led international community and refused to fall in line with their neo-liberal agenda.

If he had done so, the economy would have been in peril, Prof. Vitharana said.

Their party also took into account the fact that there are no Constitutional impediments, whatsoever, for him to run for a third term.

He was sworn in on his second term only after the 18th Amendment was incorporated to the Constitution, he said.