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:

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.