Former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa slammed his predecessor Chandrika Kumaratunga for running “one of the most repressive governments in living memory”.
In response to remarks Ms Kumaratunga made in an interview to The Hindu, Mr Rapajaksa released a statement criticising the former president.
“Once again, it is incongruous for Mrs Kumaratunga to be talking of a police state because she ran one of the most repressive governments in living memory,” he said.
“Members of her presidential security division were convicted by the courts for harassing and terrorising artistes Rookantha Gunatilleke and Chandralekha Perera in the presence of their own children. The doings of underworld figures like Beddagane Sanjiva who were prominent members of her security unit have been extensively reported on by the press. Mrs Kumaratunga’s transgressions in this regard are too numerous to recount here.”
Mr Rajapaksa went on to add, “When I took over from Mrs Kumaratunga in 2005, there was a separate state in this country in all but name. Terrorists were ruling about a third of the country. For more than a decade, the country had seen very little development.... I saw to it that terrorism was eliminated and that the country was developed”.
He also criticised Ms Kumaratunga for her comments regarding the SLFP. In an interview earlier this month she stated that she had identified Maithripala Sirisena to contest in the island’s presidential elections earlier this year, as she sought to oust Mr Rajapaksa.
“There weren’t many more to identify as it was too difficult to find anyone in the SLFP who wasn’t known to be corrupt or a murderer,” said Ms Kumaratunga. “It was very difficult to find someone from my party at a leadership level like that. I had worked with Maithripala and I knew he fitted the bill, at least somewhat.”
In response Mr Rajapaksa said “I did not spend my time persecuting my political opponents or go around the world maligning my own party and bringing disgrace upon my country”.
“All members of the SLFP should be mindful that Mrs Kumaratunga’s statements about our party only goes to strengthen our opponents at our expense,” he added.
See his full statement here.
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