Ranil using Fonseka as scapegoat to hide political failures - Johnston

Kurunegala District UNP Parliamentarian Johnston Fernando was sworn in as Land Development, Janavasa and Ranaviru Welfare Minister before President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees yesterday while UNP Parliamentary colleague from the same district Indhika Bandaranayake took his oaths as non Cabinet Minister for Natural Resources.

Dulshani GUNAWARDENA

Ranil Wickremesinghe was using Sarath Fonseka as a scapegoat to hide his own political failures, Kurunegala District UNP MP Johnston Fernando told a press conference in Colombo yesterday. "Even Ranil Wickremesinghe will vote for President Mahinda Rajapaksa on January 26. Wickremesinghe just wants Fonseka to fail and fail badly, so that everybody would end up saying how well it would have been if Wickremesinghe himself faced the election,"he said.

There is no proper campaign organized within the party. No proper advisers, as evident by Fonseka issuing statements to a Sunday paper and contradicting himself the next day," he said. Fernando and Indika Bandaranayaka told the media that they had decided to support President Rajapaksa at the upcoming Presidential Election.

"The UNP has faced every election since independence. Today, they have killed the 'elephant'. This is the first time in history that there will not be an elephant symbol on the ballot paper.

The first time there will be no green colour. Today, the elephant symbol in front of 'Sirikotha' has been replaced by the swan. Our leadership, has got together with the JVP who murdered over 6,000 of our party members and supporters.

He has brought forward as the common candidate, Sarath Fonseka whose only motives are hatred and revenge," Fernando said.

Fernando noted that in the past, UNP leaders had always paid heed to the public and focused on the general benefit of the party over oneself.

When a leader had lost public appeal he would resign, letting his place be taken by a more charismatic figure. In the contrary, the present leader Ranil Wickremesinghe held party power in spite of various failures, he said.

He said he and Indika Bandaranayaka had asked the UNP Working Committee to nominate a Presidential candidate from the UNP, the deadline being December 16 the final day for deposits.

Former Deputy Mayor of Colombo, Azath Saly said he had decided to join in the campaign against Fonseka.

He stated that he would certify of bringing 85 percent of Eastern votes in favour of the Government.

Kurunegala District UNP Parliamentarian Johnston Fernando was sworn in as Land Development, Janavasa and Ranaviru Welfare Minister before President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees yesterday while UNP Parliamentary colleague from the same district Indhika Bandaranayake took his oaths as non Cabinet Minister for Natural Resources. Present on the occasion were Minister Piyasena Gamage, Sabaragamuwa Province Chief Minister Mahipala Herath, Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa MP and Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga.