"Mass action against undemocratic extension of presidential term" - Wickramasinghe

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 23 August 2005, 09:22 GMT]
United National Party (UNP) leader and leader of the Sri Lanka's opposition, Mr. Ranil Wickramasinghe, speaking at an election campaign held at Badulla Town Hall Monday warned against the moves to pressurize the election commissioner of Sri Lanka. Mr. Wickramasinghe resolved that his party will take the "masses to the streets" against Kumaratungas move to "stay in power a single day after the 22nd of December 2005." He hailed the success of UNP's recent "Peoples strength" showdown programme, claiming that the programme made his opponents to field their presidential candidate.

Noting that the Supreme Courts decision was also dragging, Mr. Wickramasinghe said: "People won't accept this sort of moves that pressurize the election commissioner who has all the right to resolve independently on the fate of the election."

The first success of UNP's "Peoples Strength" programme was that it alone made the opponents to field a presidential candidate, Wickramasinghe declared.

"The same people who denied of a presidential election have appointed their presidential candidate," he said.

Claiming that he had no doubt that the United National Party (UNP) will be elected with overwhelming majority, the UNP leader said: "We won't accept the present President as the President of Sri Lanka only a single day after the 22nd of December this year. The presidential election should be held before the 22nd of December 2005. This is the constitution rule of this country."

"The minority government can't be in power continuously. It is illegal and undemocratic. It is illegal to have a Prime Minister from a party that has lost its majority in Parliament," he said.



Related Articles:
16.08.05   UNP hails Election Commissioner's stand
15.08.05   SL Presidential election in 2005- Election Commissioner
07.08.05   Commissioner to meet leaders before fixing poll date
03.08.05   Recourse to Court action on election date challenged
03.08.05   Kumaratunge seeks SC's decision on poll date
29.07.05   Presidential election controversy goes to court
20.01.05   Kumaratunga's stand undemocratic and opportunistic, says UNP
28.10.04   "Presidential term will continue till December 2006"- Samara..
26.10.04   UNP against extension of Presidential term- Prof.Peiris