Mahinda will follow Musharraf – Ranil
Posted by Ajith on August 20, 2008
Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has warned President Mahinda Rajapaksa against playing around with the people’s voting rights, saying that he was in danger of suffering the same fate that befell Pakistan’s Pervez Musharraff.
“President Musharraf had to resign after he played with the people” Mr. Wickremesinghe told an election rally in Anuradhapura yesterday (Aug. 19th).
He said, “If President Mahinda Rajapaksa tries to play around with the people, they all will rise up against him. That people’s power cannot be stopped.”
The UNP leader urged people not to allow any element to rig votes at the August 23rd vote.
“Will the SAARC chairman allow vote rigging? Will the SAARC chairman use thugs against his own people? What has happened to those who had tried to tamper with the voting right of the people of South Asia?” he asked.
The leader of the Maldives announced recently that he would go for an all-party system, while Bangladesh has been forced to hold an election in November.
Similarly, Nepal’s King has lost his position after attempting to halt a vote, Mr. Wickremesinghe noted.
He urged the UPFA government not to use the heroic soldiers to seek votes.
“A vote for the alliance will not be a vote for the heroic soldiers. It is clearly a vote for robbery, corruption, family administration and for hunger. The alliance is trying to strengthen its family power as the people of the north central province suffer. It wants to gain power by any means for five more years and swindle public money… I should say that every vote for ‘betel leaf’ will be a vote for robbery.”
Speaking further, he said the province had around 40,000 families of soldiers, including those who have died in action.
“If you want to vote for the heroic soldiers, vote for the UNP and elect the heroic Janaka Perera as chief minister,” Mr. Wickremesinghe said.
(Lanka Dissent)
