Colombo: Sri Lanka's detained ex-army chief
Sarath Fonseka would lead a new opposition alliance dominated
by Marxist JVP in the April 8 Parliamentary polls and contest
from one of the key constituencies here, with his wife Anoma
set to campaign across the country on his behalf.
Anoma will be campaigning for the Democratic National
Alliance (DNA) for the April general elections, Marxist JVP
supremo Somawansa Amarasinghe said today.
"She will be in the campaign team and will be touring the
entire country with the alliance partners for the April 8
Parliamentary elections," Amarsinghe, whose party is a key
constituent of the DNA, told agency.
Separately, Anoma said the former army chief had signed
his nomination papers from the Colombo District constituency
yesterday.
Fonseka's nomination papers are expected to be filed by
tomorrow, the last day for doing so.
"He will contest through the Democratic National Alliance
(DNA) from the Colombo District," Anoma said, adding his
symbol will be 'Trophy'.
"One of the attorneys visited the place where he
(Fonseka) is being held and obtained his signatures at around
11.30 am (yesterday)," she said.
Fonseka is detained at the Naval Headquarters here and
the government says he is being provided with all basic
comforts, including proper medical attention.
On Tuesday, the Sri Lankan Supreme Court declined to
grant bail to Fonseka, but said he could meet his immediate
relatives and lawyers while in detention.
Meanwhile, the UNP of former premier Ranil Wickremasinghe
expressed regret over its failure to forge unity amongst all
opposition parties for the April 8 Parliamentary elections.
Even on Tuesday evening, discussions were held between
Anoma and Fonseka's lawyer Wijeyadasa Rajapaksa on one side
and Wickremasinghe and two other party members on the other on
the issue of forging a common opposition alliance, a senior
UNP leader said preferring anonymity.
He said Fonseka was asked to take over as the deputy
leader of the main opposition UNP-led United National Front
and contest the general elections under it.
The UNP leader said the party was still open to a final
discussion with Fonseka, who was the joint opposition
candidate in the January 26 Presidential polls in which he was
defeated by incumbent Mahinda Rajapaksa.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, February 25, 2010, 18:52