UNP, SLFP-M back Fonseka

[TamilNet, Thursday, 26 November 2009, 13:04 GMT]
The working committee of the main Sri Lankan opposition United National Party (UNP) Thursday endorsed General (retd) Sarath Fonseka as their common presidential candidate. UNP is the main constituent of the newly formed United National Front (UNF). The peoples’ wing of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), led by rebel SLFP parliamentarian Mangala Samaraweera, former Foreign Minister in the President Mahinda Rajapakse’s government also endorsed General Sarath Fonseka as their common presidential candidate.

Mr. Ranil Wickremasinghe, the leader of the UNP leader and the opposition leader in the current parliament Thursday addressing a media conference in the UNP headquarters Sri Kotha announced the decision of the party working committee.

"UNP has reached a consensus with General Fonseka that the Constitutional Council (CC) would be appointed once he is elected President. All unnecessary laws that stifle civil liberties would be repealed,” Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe said.

Mr. Wickramsinghe said that the next parliamentary elections would be held in a free and fair manner once General Fonseka is elected as President of Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Peoples Front leader Mano Ganeshan MP has said that his party politburo meeting is scheduled Thursday evening to take a decision on the common candidate for the joint opposition.