CONTESTANTS MUST HAVE MR’S BLESSINGS TO BECOME ULTIMATE VICTORS - DILAN
Presidential Polls 2020
The front liner of the SLFP rebel group of 16 Parliamentarians, Dilan Perera said that whoever contests from the anti-unp camp at the late 2019 Presidential poll, he/she should have the blessings of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to win the election.
Whether the opposition candidate is a member of the Rajapaksa family, Joint Opposition parliamentary leader Dinesh Gunawardana or any other, he/ she must be nominated by Mahinda Rajapaksa to get the full support of the combined opposition, he added.
Responding to the Daily Mirror at yesterday’s news briefing held at the ‘Media Centre for Freedom’ in Colombo on the issue of the alleged US government’s disapproval of Gotabhaya Rajapaksa becoming President, Mr. Perera said what is important was not the individual politician who contests the Presidential poll, but who gets the consent and blessings from Mahinda Rajapaksa to win the Presidential poll.
“To do that, President Sirisena and Mahinda must come to an understanding and unite against the UNP. That is our task. Before that MR must be appointed as Prime Minister after winning the Parliamentary polls” he stressed.
He added one candidate at the last Pradeshiya Sabha election got the backing of MR and won a ward in the Ella Pradeshiya Sabha even after his death.
“That is the popularity of MR. I don’t know whether the media reports on the US protest to Gota are correct or not. But the deciding factor in the presidential polls is who would get the support of MR and whoever gets his blessings would be the ultimate victor. We try our best to bring together all progressive factions and political parties against the UNP and Ranil Wickremesinghe under one roof and contest and win all PCS, Parliamentary and Presidential polls in this year and next year,” Mr. Perera stressed.
Replying to another question, Mr. Perera said the state media was in a covert operation to make people forget the biggest ever fraud in history - the Central Bank bond scam issue - bringing to the fore the financial gratuities given by Arjuna Aloysius and the Presidential candidate of the JO. Even the media does not talk about the billions of rupees which the country had lost through the bond scandal but only on who gets money from Arjun Aloysius.
“No one talks about the main suspect of the bond scam case, Arjuna Mahendran or how he could be brought back to Sri Lanka. The cabinet spokesman, Health Minister Dr. Rjitha Senaratne talks on all subjects except health. If the Law and Order Minister can’t prevent crimes in his own district (The attempted assassination of chief incumbent monk of Kiriwehera) how could he look after the safety of the people in the country?” he asked.
Asked about their failed attempt to pull out the remaining 23 SLFPERS from the ‘Yahapalana Government’, Mr. Pererea said a resolution was brought to the SLFP requesting President Sirisena to quit the government, but it was thwarted by former SLFP General Secretary, Minister Duminda Dissanayaka.