Colombo: Sri Lanka`s main opposition
party is supporting the candidature of Sarath Fonseka in order
to abolish Executive Presidency in the country, UNP leader
Ranil Wickremesinghe today said, as he hoped to be the Prime
Minister if the former general wins.
"I have functioned before as Executive Prime Minister
in an Executive Cabinet and I hope to do so again," former
prime minister said this describing his role in the event of
Fonseka winning the January 26 presidential elections.
Wickremesinghe talked about three main issues on which
he stood to gain if the former General were to be elected as
the next president of Sri Lanka in the Presidential elections
to be held on January 26.
"The first would be to establish democracy. Second,
to install a parliamentary system of government, which will
have a majority of United National Party MPs. Third, I hope to
function as Executive Prime Minister," the Sunday Leader
quoted Wickremesinghe as saying.
He was also asked as to why his United National
Party for the first time in its entire history has fielded a
presidential candidate outside the party.
Wickremesinghe responded, "We have not fielded
someone outside the UNP. We are merely supporting General
Sarath Fonseka, in order to abolish the Executive Presidency,
as the (Marxist) JVP are doing, despite a whole lot of
ideological differences with the UNP."
"We are all committed to the same cause. To restore
democracy in this country," Wickremesinghe said.
Wickremesinghe asserted that he is confident Fonseka
will also garner considerable votes from the Tamil and Muslim
minority parties.
"We have agreed on a ten point plan for the future
of Sri Lanka – a country with a vision which would include the
resettlement of IDPs, dealing with all those homeless since
1983 and all those under detention without charge," the
newspaper quoted him as saying.
Wickremesinghe was asked if Fonseka would not require
the office of Executive President to eradicate corruption –
which has been Fonseka`s battle cry since he began running for
president.
In response Wickremesinghe said, "We have agreed
even after the Executive Presidency is abolished the General
should head a council that will monitor the anti corruption
drive.
This Council, Wickremesinghe asserted, should be non
partisan and representative of all members in society
including the opposition and civil society."
Responding specifically to the question on what role
exactly the General would play if the Presidency is abolished
Wickremesinghe said, "He will head this council," the Sunday
Leader quoted him as saying.
PTI
