JNP to contest General Election

Lakshmi de Silva

The Jathika Nidahas Peramuna (JNP) will contest in 18 districts at the General Elections to be held before the Sinhala and Hindu New year, JNP Leader Wimal Weerawansa said at a press conference at his party office yesterday.

At the General election UPFA could form a strong government with a two thirds majority since the UNP and the JVP had lost their grip at the grassroots level’s trust and confidence of their party leaders.

With a clear majority of 1.8 million votes, President Mahinda Rajapaksa won the Presidential election and the general election would also follow with similar results.

It would be like in December 1988 Presidential Elections of Ranasinghe Premadasa when he held the General Elections and won a strong Parliamentary majority, Weerawansa explained.

He said Opposition and UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe had clearly stated that he would not contest with the JVP at the General Elections and he had deserted the JVP leaders. Therefore the JVP leaders had become political refugees now with left with only their new found swan symbol.

Wickremesinghe made a sacrificial lamb by making Retired General Sarath Fonseka as the Leader of the New Democratic Front and a convenient scapegoat for his defeat and he became a winner by not losing at least for a while at the Presidential election.

On the other hand R. Sampanthan was also a winner because the political slogans he could not brought before the country after the defeat of LTTE came into limelight with the Presidential campaign. Sampanthan had made an attempt to bring the terrorist slogans before the international community’s attention too, Weerawansa said.

He said President Rajapaksa did not use his executive powers harmfully or maliciously in the past. He would use his executive powers benignly for the betterment of the country in the future.

There would be changes in the public sector and electoral system and finally after the six year term the Executive Presidential system would also be abolished by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.