REFUGEE: Ranil urges voting rights to Tamils in the camps, elsewhere

Ranil urges voting rights to Tamils in the camps, elsewhere

Posted in Labels: Ranil Wickremesinghe 11:05

Ranil Wickremasinghe

Sri Lanka’s main Opposition party leader Ranil Wickramasinghe on Wednesday said at Chennai airport, the Election Commission in the island nation has been urged to give voting rights to Tamils in the forthcoming polls to be held there in January next year.

He said he urged the Election Commission to accord voting rights not only to the Tamils living in the camps set up by the government, but also to those who had moved out and were staying with their relatives.

Mr. Wickramasinghe sought an explanation from Colombo on former army chief Gen. Sarath Fonseka's allegation that some surrendering LTTE leaders were killed on the orders of the government. "Government must say the background of this," he said.

"We have heard that they had a discussion. The government has not yet explained. They should explain in the next Parliament session. They can't shift the blame," he added.

Mr. Wickeramasinghe who held talks with External Affairs Minister S M Krishna in Delhi, told media persons that he had briefed the Minister about the situation of IDPs in government camps and the Presidential polls scenario. He also said of Gen. Fonseka, the joint candidate of UNP and JVP, who is pitted against incumbent Mahinda Rajapaksa in the next month polls.

Describing the situation faced by IDPs as "bad", Mr. Wickramasinghe said if Fonseka was elected, "we will resettle those (Sri Lankan Tamils) to their respective places."The UNP would strive for the equal right status to the affected Tamils, he added.