President’s victory assured - Ex UNP Minister

Lakshmi de Silva

They were among the very few people who worked for the UNP from the time of its founder leader D.S. Senanayake. But today the UNP was not a strong political party. It had lost its party symbol with no leader to contest the Presidential Election.

There was confusion within the party and its rank and file, former UNP Minister and present organizer, Galigamuwa, Jayathilaka Podinilame who pledged support to President Mahinda Rajapaksa in the Presidential Election said.

Addressing the UPFA press conference at the Mahaweli Centre , Colombo yesterday Podinilame who was also a former Chief Minister of Sabaragamuwa said, the JVP killed UNP supporters in the past and the JVP was the sworn enemy of the UNP.

They not only killed UNP supporters but did not allow the dead to be respected and ordered that coffins be carried below the knees. “All these are still vivid in our memories and we still weep for our deceased party supporters,” he said. The UNP members at grassroot level know only the Elephant symbol and they would not vote for a Swan, he said.

“We as people’s representatives had served the people and no one could accuse us of cheating. There were UNP executive committee members who had joined the UPFA and supported the President earlier.

There are some 200 UNP members who had discussions with the President last Sunday and they would definitely join the President,” he added. Former Urban Council Chairman Kegalle Jude Rukantha (UNP) said he supported President Mahinda Rajapaksa for his unwavering quality of being a strong leader in the face of international pressure during the war on terrorism.

Even comparing the two main candidates President Rajapaksa was more capable than Sarath Fonseka. If Sarath Fonseka becomes President UNP will not gain but lose its position. There was confusion and uncertainty among UNP activists and members in the Kegalle district. The UNP was a party with a vote base of 3.5 million.

A major party was now clinging on to parties that have a 10,000 or 15,000 votes. The JVP had only a 250,000 vote base. Therefore it will ruin the UNP.

Answering questions he said he was not going against the UNP or its leader but the decision to support a non-UNP candidate at the Presidential Election was made at the hierarchical level of the UNP but the party membership was not consulted before that decision was made.

He said though Sarath Fonseka was a capable General there were greater Generals like Denzil Kobbekaduwa or Vijaya Wimalaratne. But they were not able to win the war as they were not given the strong political leadership that President Rajapaksa gave the Armed Forces. His victory was assured and our decision to support the President was made according to the dictates of our conscience, he said.