Deshapriya, Illangakoon earn praise from Opposition
December 21, 2014, 9:34 pm
By Shamindra Ferdinando
The Opposition yesterday praised Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya for making a genuine effort to ensure a level playing field in the run-up to January 8, 2015 presidential election.
Opposition spokesman UNP MP Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, PC, said that Deshapriya had shown his commitment in spite of incumbent President exercising executive powers to his advantage.
Addressing the media at the Opposition Leader's Office at Sir Marcus Fernando Mawatha, MP Rajapakshe said that polls chief's feat was a victory for those who value democracy.
The UNP also appreciated the efforts made by police Chief N.K. Illangakoon to keep the situation under control. However, the IGP had been placed in a difficult situation due to former IGP Mahinda Balasuriya being appointed Secretary to the Law and Order Ministry. The UNP said that Balasuriya received a diplomatic posting after he quit the police service consequent to the death of a garment worker at the Katunayake Export Processing Zone (EPZ) at the hands of the police.
The PC accused Balasuriya of printing a special booklet to promote President Rajapaksa at taxpayers' expense. Displaying the booklet, MP Rajapakshe alleged that the Law and Order Secretary was putting pressure on the police department to throw its weight behind President Rajapaksa.
One-time JVP presidential candidate Nandana Gunatilleke said that the government was brazenly using the armed forces and the police for political work. Alleging that security forces personnel had been used for labourers' work since the conclusion of the conflict, Gunatilleke blamed President Rajapaksa and Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa for what he called pathetic situation experienced by those who fought against the LTTE.
Gunatilleke said that war hero General Sarath Fonseka had to undergo severe hardships due to him challenging President Rajapaksa at the last presidential poll. "The war veteran was denied a pension. Those who had served under him too earned the wrath of the government. Wife of a Brigadier died about a year after her husband was forced out of the army for performing legitimate tasks."
Gunatilleke urged families and loved ones of security forces and police to exercise their franchise in support of Maithripala Sirisena.
Their candidate was called Sirisena by UPFA spokesmen in an obvious bid to undermine his candidature. The government was trying to humiliate Maithripala Sirisena, thereby antagonize those living in the provinces, the former JVPer charged.
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