by
Dasun Edirisinghe
Opposition Presidential Candidate Maithripala Sirisena yesterday assured that he would not enter into any pact with the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) or any other party to get their support for the Jan. 08 election.
Addressing the heads of print and electronic media at the Solis Hotel, Pitakotte, Sirisena said that they had met some members of the TNA to discuss the presidential election, but hadn’t entered into any agreement with them.
Sirisena said that he had not signed a separate agreements with the JHU or the UNP contrary to claims to that effect by former UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake, who joined the government on Monday.
“We signed only one agreement at the Viharamahadevi Park and all other understandings are based on it,” he said, adding that anyone, including the TNA could support him based on the points of main agreement.
He said that so far 12 prominent members of the UPFA had defected to support him and just eight more were needed for his target of 20.
“It is still only two weeks since I defected from the UPFA and more than 20 will follow me in the near future,” Sirisena said, adding that he had not promised the UNP that he would bring 20 MPs before handing over of nominations.
The former health minister said that most people were misled as regards the abolition of the executive presidency. What the Opposition was planning to do was to reduce its powers, he said.
Sirisena said that posts of the Commander in Chief and Defence Minister would remain with the President in keeping with the present Constitution.
He said that he was planning to hold 140 rallies countrywide including three in the Northern Province. “We have already held rallies in Polonnaruwa, Matara, Kandy.” He said he would visit Agalawatte, Matugama and Panadura electorates yesterday.
Responding to the TNA MP Suresh Premachandran’s statement that the TNA had no faith in both main candidates, Sirisena said individual politicians could make different statement.
Sirisena said that though the JVP would not support him directly, they were engaged in a campaign against Rajapaksa’s third term and both parties saw eye to eye on that.
Commenting on funds for his campaign, he said that he didn’t have money to launch a 3D campaign as the government had done, but he would not erect cut outs or use polythene. “We will depend on the UNP party funds and donations made by supporters as well as well-wishers,” Sirisena said ruling out foreign funds for his campaign. The former Health Minister said that he would issue gazettes to print pictorial warnings on 90% of the display areas of packets of cigarettes and to implement the National Drug Policy immediately after his election.
Courtesy:The Island