Protests an excuse for UNP defeat - Azwer

Rohan Mathes

Former Minister and Presidential Advisor A. H. M. Azwer alleged that Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe was reverting to his 'Lame Duck' game of staging protests in Colombo.

Speaking to the Daily News, Azwer said after losing an election for the 18th time in succession, he was using his usual 'Lame Duck' policies to tarnish the good name of the UPFA Government.

"If as he claims, that the Ampara and Batticaloa elections were rigged, then who rigged the Trincomalee polls? Ranil Wickremasinghe-Rauff Hakeem-Sambanthan-LTTE combination with the assistance of the Zionist and their Western Masters, strove their level-best to oust the UPFA Government by winning the Eastern polls, but failed", he said.

Azwer claimed that when Ranil Wickremasinghe was the Education Minister and Prime Minister, and was invited by Zahira College Colombo for numerous functions, he never entered the precints of that great Muslim Educational Institution.

He had never given an interview to the All Ceylon Muslim Education Conference, to discuss about the problems encountered in Muslim education in the country.

In the Iraq war, Wickremesinghe supported the Americans against the Muslim cause. "This was his attitude towards the Muslim community both locally and internationally", Azwer added.

He further claimed that if Rauff Hakeem was genuine in serving the Eastern polity, he would not breach the trust placed in him by the people who elected him to the Provincial Council (PC), and re-enter Parliament via the National list.