SL presidential race: Top players launch campaigns
The contest to replace Maithripala Sirisena as Sri Lankan president intensified with the two main contenders ruling UNP leader Sajith Premadasa and former defence chief Gotabhaya Rajapaksa - launching their election campaign, both promising strong national security measures if they win.
While Premadasa, United National Party deputy leader, kicked off his campaign here on Thursday, Rajapaksa, the younger brother of former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa, launched his election rally the previous day in the north central town of Anuradhapura.
Both the candidates made the national security issue a key election plank. In his rally, Premadasa said he would give “utmost priority” to national security and “eliminate all forms of terrorism” if voted to power.
“I will ensure that everyone lived happily in a safe country,” he said. Premadasa, who is also the housing minister, said he would entrust the national security to Sarath Fonseka, who was the Army Commander in 2009 when it defeated the LTTE. “The Field Marshal is an expert on the issue and I would always give due recognition to experts under my government,” he said.
President Sirisena was under pressure to appoint Fonseka as the minister-in-charge of the police after the deadly Easter Sunday attacks by the Islamist extremists that killed 258 people. However, he ignored the calls due to his differences with the ruling UNP.
Fonseka is considered the main architect of the military operation, which ended the nearly three-decade-long civil war in the island nation with the death of LTTE supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran in 2009. Fonseka was awarded the country’s only field marshal rank for his role.