The former General Secretary of the UNP, Tissa Attanayake, has warned that the common opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena has signed an agreements with the Tamil National Alliance, despite its “extremist” policies, reported the DailyMirror.
“I have serious doubts about the MOUs signed with different extremist groups such as the TNA, JHU and the JVP. The common opposition will be obliged to satisfy the extremist Tamil groups and the Tamil Diaspora. These pledges are extremely dangerous for the national security and the sovereignty of the country. We do not know what the opposition has promised but we have a right to know,” Attanayake said.
“The opposition was a coalition of strange bedfellows who profess different extremist policies. I do not understand how the JHU, TNA and the JVP can campaign to achieve a common objective.”
Attanayake, who is backing Mahinda Rajapaksa in the presidential election next month, says he joined the incumbent’s camp to “save” the UNP from those who had “hijacked” his party.
The national list MP maintains he is still a member of the UNP and that he decided against backing the Sirisena because he had failed to fulfil his pledges to the UNP Working Committee.
Attanayake said that Sirisena’s campaign was handled by Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga from her office and the UNP had no say.
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