Denounce US citizenship, challenges Azath

Swarna WIJEKOON and Dhanushka GODAKUMBURA

Former Deputy Mayor of Colombo, Azath Salley said he challenged the New Democratic Front presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka to make a public statement that he would remain in Sri Lanka denouncing US citizenship.

Addressing a press conference at the Mahaveli Centre, Colombo, he said Fonseka was contesting as a US candidate as a partner of an international conspiracy and he did not care for Sri Lanka. He would leave the country no sooner he is defeated at the presidential election, he said.

Fonseka's election manifesto had no substance and he had failed to mention the Muslims. On the other hand UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe had betrayed the 4.8 million UNP voters but he was using abusive language on President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

He said po da to the President at a public rally but he did not have the courage to say the same thing to terrorist leader Prabhakaran, Salley said.

A vote for President Mahinda Rajapaksa will be a vote out of gratitude for a leader who had defeated the terrorists and achieved peace, he said.

A large number of UNP members have agreed to support the President while the UNP was gradually getting dissolved under Wickremesinghe, he said.

Salley said both Wickremesinghe and Fonseka were the same. When each one made a public speech about 5,000 votes were lost. Therefore they would only achieve one objective - defeat - Salley said.