By

Harischandra Gunaratna

General Sarath Fonseka, leader of the Democratic Party (DP) while announcing that it would field its own candidates at the next general election said yesterday that President Mahinda Rajapaksa was making a vain attempt to cover up corrupt deals by threatening to blackmail the parliamentarians who pledged their support to the common candidate by carrying some empty files.

“Family bandyism is the motto of the UPFA and Rajapaksas rule the roost riding roughshod over the SLFP seniors as well as all others who worked hard to bring them to power,” he said.

The President was attempting to hide the fact that there were others who had hundreds of files in their possession pertaining to the Rajapaksa family and the President’s inner circle and they were in a vulnerable position, Fonseka said.

“The Rajapaksas have amassed wealth at the expense of the poor masses through corrupt deals in the name of development and these projects have brought them massive commissions.”

The cost of living had skyrocketed, causing untold hardships to the common man, but no attempt was made to lessen the burden on the masses, the Democratic Party Leader said.

Addressing the party members and the media while welcoming the Common Candidate Maithripala Sirisena at Nawala, Fonseka said the Rajapaksas were attempting to form a dictatorship going for a third term after stifling the judiciary, legislature, media etc., and added that there was no rule of law in the country with a gang of uneducated thugs calling the shots.

Fonseka said the real Democratic Party members had made numerous sacrifices and those who were collaborating with the government could leave the party.

The DP had come to an understanding with the common candidate that in the event Maithripala Sirisena won the Presidential election Ranil Wickremesinghe would be made the Prime Minister after abolishing the Executive Presidency, the Democratic Party leader said.

Courtesy:The Island