Election will be crucial for country - NLF

by Chamikara Weerasinghe

Leader of New Left Front, Dr. Wickramabahu Karunaratne yesterday said that his party was likely to get hit by presidential candidates of both parties, the UNP and the SLFP, in the run up to Presidential Election, 2005.

However, he maintained that his party has the prospects of winning votes of a minority. "This minority may be small in number but will be strong indeed," he said.

Dr. Karunaratne said that the forthcoming election would be crucial and it will be earmarked as a turning point in the country's history.

He stressed the importance of holding a fair election.

"The Elections Commissioner and the police will have to do a good job in order to ensure a fair election," he said.

"The ballot is crucial for the reason that there is a focus on protecting the country's unitary state by one group and a federal solution for the country's national question by the other," he pointed out.

He said: "There is no doubt that UNP presidential candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe will follow the path of Regaining Sri Lanka if he wins the election."

"With presidential candidate Mahinda Rajapakse the chances for this may be limited, but I doubt that he has much of a choice other than carry on with this programme," he said.