Army will not be withdrawn from Jaffna – Sirisena
The National Democratic Front’s (NDF) Presidential candidate Maithripala Sirisena said yesterday that he would ensure maximum security to ensure the territorial integrity of the country including Jaffna, if he secured the presidency on Jan. 8.
Addressing the diplomatic community in Colombo to explain his policies, he observed that President Mahinda Rajapaksa having realised that the writing was on the wall was spreading blatant lies in the hope that he could arrest the slide, but it would be a futile exercise.
” One of Mahinda’s allegations is that if I became President, I would withdraw the army from Jaffna. But it’s a blatant lie since I have never said such a thing”, Sirisena said, adding that he would strengthen and not weaken national security where necessary.
The NDF’s Presidential Candidate, who maintained that he was the Acting Defence Minister during the last two weeks or so of the war which ended on May 19, 2009 said that the hard won victory over the LTTE which was achieved due to the combined efforts of successive political and military leaders and sacrifices made by people of all communities, would not be bartered away to please anyone.
The UPFA government was behaving very childishly and foolishly by even releasing old proposals submitted to it by political parties that had deserted it in the recent, past after labeling them as new ones. Such was their desperation, he noted.
Leader of the UNP Ranil Wickremesinghe said that military personnel were being used by Rajapaksa in his election campaign in clear violation of Polls laws and indicative of a person who knew his days were numbered.
Pledging to abolish the 18th Amendment to the Constitution which had got rid of the Independent Public, Election, Police, Bribery or Corruption, Finance and Delimitation Commissions, Sirisena promised to deliver a “Maithri Samajaya” where democracy, good governance and the rule of law prevailed.
Highlighting the key elements of his manifesto, Sirisena who calls himself the “Consensus Candidate for the Joint Opposition” said that he would abolish the Executive Presidency within 100 days of him winning the Presidential Election.
“It is imperative that the enormous powers wielded by the Executive President be removed and the Chief Executive be held accountable to Parliament and the people for his acts of omission and commission,” he observed.
Among the other key proposals contained in his manifesto, the NDF’s Presidential candidate said were:
- The introduction of a democratic constitution answerable to the people and providing for the first- past-the-post- electoral system with elements of proportional representation .
- Empowering the Central Bank to play its vital role in an independent overseer of the economy
- Ensuring that the judiciary and the Attorney General would no longer have to bow to the will of the all-powerful Executive.
- Guranteeing Media Freedom
- Establishing a Right to Information Law which would empower the citizen to have access to information that should be in the public domain as in a truly democratic country.
- Build a just, equitable and inclusive society where every citizen will have access to equal opportunities and co-exist in peace and harmony.
(Courtesy: The Island)
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My dear Sirisena,
It is 5 years since the leader of the LTTE and the LTTE as a force was eliminated by Sinhala Buddhist youth through blood sacrifice.
Since that time, there has not been a single gunshot in the Northern Province.
Now, can you please explain why the Army cannot be withdrawn from the combat fields and the Tamil speaking Citizens of Northern Sri Lanka be let to pursue a normal life under civilian administration?
The problem is, Mr Srisena, you are a hard core racist quite unlike HE Mahinda Rajapaksas who retrieved the Tamil speaking citizens from evil clutches of the LTTE at enormous cost to Sinhala Buddhist Youth lives.
Since 1948, we have not had a leader of HE Mahinda’s calibre. If you want to dance to the tune of your US sponsors who gave $50m to their pals RW and CBK to instal a puppet regime, you are free to do so.
Mr Sirisena, stop being a goat because you are not a goat. Stop this stupidity and cross-over to UPFA right now.
Sirisena,
Your ‘modakama’ is on display to the international community.
It is clear your candidature is being supported by the Chaura Rajina and wimpy Wicks with the 50m dollars given by CIA for regime change.
You have all these dot points for the CIA’s Good Governance Manual which is found in their rubbish bin.
Why can’t you quote from the Dhammapada about good governance.
It is now obvious that you are a racist and the country, under you, will definitely head for division. That is why TNA separatists like Sumanthiram are supporting you, you goat.
When MR has gone, then China has gone, when you have to depend on pounds, dollars and euros to keep Sri Lanka’s economy afloat, IDIOT, don’t you have to meet what is already one of their demands not to stop the flow of pounds, dollars and euros to keep you and your pathetic collection of selfish cronies with 50 different political philosophies and personal agendas?
Don’t lie so much to voters in SL. When SL goes down, it is true you will happily migrate with a green card or permanent residency to one of the EU countries like Chandirika does. But common people in SL will suffer alike regardless of their political affiliations.
Army knows how, when and where to withdraw. But how, when and where do you withdraw, if you kicked off by unified sinhalese? You can say even you’ll not eat rice anymore after 8th and make it realize too.
Quote “Army will not be withdrawn from Jaffna – Sirisena”
Above can happen only if Sirisena is the president for the first 100 days from election (if he wins) because he says within 100 days he will abolish the executive presidency.
Sirisena, Do you know the difference between the “president” and the “president elect”?
Your 100 days will start counting from 9 January (only if you win) but there is no guarantee that you will be sworn in (if you win, again)within the 100 days.
There is a great chance that Sirisena will be sworn in (if he wins) many many months after the election. There can be lengthy legal battles too regarding the interpretations of the constitution about when MR’s presidency ends (only if Sirisena wins). Therefore there is a chance that you may be sworn in (if you win, again) as the president in 2 years from now.
Even if Sirisena wins, swears in immediately (very unlikely), and will not withdraw army from north, that decision can stay in place only for the 100 days, and once he becomes a puppet president after 100 days, USA and EU will decide whether the army will be withdrawn or not. Sirisena will be a non-entity by then.
If you protest their decision, USA, UK and EU will ask, “Sirisena, who are you?, do we know you?”