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| Thursday, 12 February 2004 |
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Politics | |
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| UNP has no moral right to talk about free and fair elections - SLFP As soon as the President dissolved Parliament the UNP has started talking about a just and fair election. It is ludicrous to see the UNP suddenly talking about free and fair elections, said the SLFP Media, Information and Publicity Unit in a press release issued yesterday. The release signed by SLFP Media spokesman and former MP Mangala Samaraweera said the UNP had accepted the ignominious defeat awaiting it at the forthcoming election during the very first Press Conference held after the dissolution of Parliament. The release said it is pleasing to note the UNP accepting the victory awaiting the United People's Freedom Alliance at the following election. It is evident that the UNP which was aware of its certain defeat at the hands of the UPFA had started talking about free and fair elections and engaging local and foreign observers to monitor the elections. The UNP was doing this to find answers in advance, for its impending defeat. The release added that the UNP which was responsible for the killing of 61 political opponents and torching 3,000 houses of opposition supporters during and after the 2001 General Election had no moral right to talk about free and fair elections. The whole country knew that the UNP secured power in many local institutions including the Tangalle UC during the 2002 local elections through thuggery. Moreover, the UNP by perpetrating barbaric attacks on Alliance supporters throughout the country on the eve of the signing of the SLFP-JVP MoU gave a hint about the manner in which it would act in future. Three opposition activists were killed and many more injured during these attacks. Not only on these two occasions but on many more occasions too the UNP had displayed to the country that it was using tension and thuggery instead of people's power. It was abundantly clear that UNP violence would erupt at the forthcoming elections. The UNP which gained power by giving a thousand and one promises had broken every one of them. UNP politicians who led the country to the verge of anarchy by compromising national security, and destroying the economy, democracy, culture and moral values were today unable to face the people. The UNP politicians who realised this were planning and laying traps in advance to destroy the purity of the forthcoming historic victory of the UPFA and belittle it. The release said the UNP which bragged about the 17th Amendment to the Constitution and related Commissions before the last election took no action to activate them and stabilise democracy in the country after gaining power. Instead the UNP has suddenly thought of the Elections Commission now. This action of the UNP raised grave questions about its political sincerity. More than the UNP the UPFA was anxious to ensure its victory by holding a free and fair election. The UPFA is prepared to act in a dedicated manner to achieve this objective. The UPFA would also call upon the people, people's organisations as well as all political parties to safeguard the forthcoming elections from the threat of UNP violence. It would also call upon the leadership and members of the UNP too to assist in the program drawn up to ensure a free and fair election. |
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