JHU General Secretary Dr. Ven. Omalpe Sobitha Thera said, at a press conference yesterday at the Mahaweli Centre, that those who resorted to violence were really working against President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

"Those unleashing violence in support of the Government were were ruining the President’s image," the Thera added.

He said that President Rajapaksa’s victory was certain.

JHU Legal Advisor Udaya Gammanpila said that Sarath Fonseka had over one week to counter charges of corruption against him.

He said that the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) had first approached President Rajapaksa only to be told them that as a candidate he would like to have their votes but the country was more important than anything else.

Gammanpila said that the assurance given by Fonseka to release 10,000 LTTE prisoners would be detrimental to national security.

Nobody knew where the LTTE had hidden its weapons but the prisoners could be aware of such locations, Gammanpila said. "By such promises Fonseka is trying to drag the country into another dark era," he added.

Environment and Natural Resources Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said that if the two manifestos of Rajapaksa and Fonseka were compared it became clear that Rajapaksa had included 29 proposals put forward by the JHU.

He said on the other hand, despite Fonseka talking about the abolition of the Executive Presidency within 180 days it was not clearly indicated in the manifesto.

The Minister said though the JVP made a hue and cry about devolution, it was promoting federalism on the sly.

Courtesy: The Island