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‘Separatist forces are destabilising the country’ claims Rajapaksa

Former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa  claimed Sri Lanka was under threat from “separatist forces” as he urged voters to go to the polls and vote for him at the general election.

In an interview with The Island, Mr Rajapaksa, who is the UPFA prime ministerial candidate, claimed that “today, we don’t have a stable government, national finances are in a major crisis and separatist forces are once again destabilising the country”.

“This is an election that will decide the entire future of our country both in economic and political terms,” he said, adding “everyone should cast his or her vote at this election because so much is at stake”.

Mr Rajapaksa went on to slam the United National Party who accused him of giving money to the LTTE, by stating that the UNP had given money and weapons to the LTTE in 1990. “The fact that president Premadasa gave money and even weapons to the LTTE is an established fact,” he said.

He went on to say “later the leaders of the UNP tried to hand over the entire North and East to the LTTE on a platter by signing the 2002 Ceasefire agreement”.

His comments came as he signed an agreement with 130 civil society organizations on Wednesday, who pledged to back him.

“Once the people have made their will known, everybody will have to fall in line,” said Mr Rajapaksa “That’s whole meaning of democracy.”

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