Common candidate: UNP accepts JVP’s stance
By Kelum Bandara
The UNP said yesterday that the key points highlighted by the JVP to support a common candidate at the next presidential election was acceptable to them in principle.
UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake told a news conference yesterday that the newly formed United National Front (UNF) had started negotiations with all political parties in the opposition on the common candidate.
Mr. Attanayake said these talks were going at unofficial levels, and as a result, declined to name the parties.
“The government has approached some of the parties in our alliance to win over them to its fold through various offers. The government has established an espionage system to monitor our movements and interactions with those concerned.
So, it is safe not to divulge anything at this moment,” he said.
Asked for comments on the demands forwarded by the JVP for the common candidate, he said, “in principle, we can accept them. Nevertheless, there are certain issues to be thrashed out. We can do it through negotiations.”
At a media briefing on Monday, the JVP said that the proposed common candidate should agree to abolish the executive presidency, to implement the 17th Amendment meaningfully, to ensure media freedom, and to work out a programme for the displaced civilians in the North and the Tamil youths who were now in custody.
Mr. Attanayake said that the common candidate would be announced after the declaration of the presidential election within the next few days. He said his party could not expect a free and fair election from the government, and as a result stressed the need to have international election monitors here.
“We ask the international community to be observant about what is happening here in the run up to the election. There is no right for President Mahinda Rajapaksa to use helicopters and other state resources for his campaign,” he said.
By Kelum Bandara
UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake told a news conference yesterday that the newly formed United National Front (UNF) had started negotiations with all political parties in the opposition on the common candidate.
Mr. Attanayake said these talks were going at unofficial levels, and as a result, declined to name the parties.
“The government has approached some of the parties in our alliance to win over them to its fold through various offers. The government has established an espionage system to monitor our movements and interactions with those concerned.
So, it is safe not to divulge anything at this moment,” he said.
Asked for comments on the demands forwarded by the JVP for the common candidate, he said, “in principle, we can accept them. Nevertheless, there are certain issues to be thrashed out. We can do it through negotiations.”
At a media briefing on Monday, the JVP said that the proposed common candidate should agree to abolish the executive presidency, to implement the 17th Amendment meaningfully, to ensure media freedom, and to work out a programme for the displaced civilians in the North and the Tamil youths who were now in custody.
Mr. Attanayake said that the common candidate would be announced after the declaration of the presidential election within the next few days. He said his party could not expect a free and fair election from the government, and as a result stressed the need to have international election monitors here.
“We ask the international community to be observant about what is happening here in the run up to the election. There is no right for President Mahinda Rajapaksa to use helicopters and other state resources for his campaign,” he said.
