REFUGEE

At least five candidates including NSSP leader Dr. Wickremabahu Karunaratne and United Socialist Party leader Siritunga Jayasuriya plan to run at the January 26 Presidential Election, political sources said yesterday.

Mr. Mano Ganesan, leader of the Democratic Peoples Front (DPF), said that the Tamil political parties were considering two options – either run a Tamil candidate to create awareness among the international community that the Tamils were opposed to President Rajapaksa or back the common opposition candidate. They were due to meet other Tamil political parties on December 3.

Analysts expect both major contenders, President Rajapaksa and General Fonseka to also field `dummy’ candidates to use their entitlements – polling and counting agents, television time etc.

With nominations due on December 17, a Buddhist monk, Ven. Battaramulle Seelaratana Thero and Mr. Wije Dias are also mentioned as possible contenders along with the two main runners.

Fonseka will address a news conference in Colombo this morning when he is expected to declare his candidature and field questions. Analysts pointed out that although various opposition personalities are on record saying Fonseka is their candidate, he had himself not publicly spoken for himself.

The TNA said yesterday that it was maintaining an open mind on its attitude to the election with Mr. N. Sri Kanthan, MP, saying that the party will soon take a decision on three options that are open to them.

He rejected the theory that the TNA would call for a boycott of the election saying "we want the Tamil people to participate and there is no question of ignoring or boycotting the election".

Sri Kanthan identified the options before them – fielding a Tamil candidate with the backing of other Tamil parties, back somebody like Dr. Wickremabahu Karunaratne who had consistently stood up for the cause of the Tamil people or support one of the main candidates.

Mr. Dharmalingam Siddharthan, leader of PLOTE, speaking for his party and the EPRLF (Naba Wing) indicated support for President Rajapaksa.

"There is a lot of infrastructure development taking place in the North and East and we place our faith in the President who has given us a firm assurance that he would implement what the Tamil people look forward to in his second term," Siddharthan said expressing the view that the majority of the Tamils would support the Rajapaksa ticket.

SLMC leader Rauf Hakeem was in Nintavur yesterday celebrating the Eid Ul Mubarak along with his party’s General Secretary M.T. Hassen Ali, MP, and Basheer Cegu Dawood, opposition leader of the Eastern Provincial Council.

Hassen Ali said that there would be no problem about a symbol for Fonseka whom they would meet when they return to Colombo and confirmed that they would sign a MOU with the General.

He said their main task was to defeat President Rajapakse and the SLMC was willing to take a risk about Fonseka not stepping down within 180 days should he be elected.

Hassan Ali complained that the UPFA government had prevented the people from occupying 500 houses built for tsunami affected Muslims by the Saudi government and also what he called the grabbing of Muslim land in the Eastern Province.

"The President is silent on the APRC proposals and believes that speaking a few words in Tamil would gain him the support of the Tamil people," he said.

Their party hierarchy was in the Eastern Province to obtain the views of the people with regard to the common candidate and this process will continue for three days before they return to Colombo and meet Fonseka to explain the ground situation in the Eastern Province to him, he added.

"We are not worried abut a two-third majority to abolish the executive presidency or that Fonseka will not step down. What we want to do is to defeat Rajapaksa," he said.

The NSSP leader said that he was entering the race because democracy is not taken seriously by either of the two major parties. The right to self determination, equality and autonomy for all communities were the only base on which the executive presidency can be abolished.

"What I am setting out to do is to attack both camps and ensure that they will not get the required 50% plus one in the first round. This is only my target," Karunaratne said.