S.B. Dissanayake asked why shouldn’t UNP contest Batticaloa elections

S.B. Dissanayake asked why shouldn’t UNP contest Batticaloa elections when it could have registered a facile victory in Batticaloa going by the last Presidential elections results: UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe secured almost 12 lakhs votes whereas President Rajapakse could only poll 27808 votes in the East!

The UNP was not prepared to play into the hands of the Govt..’s machinations aimed at only winning elections by the foulest means collaborating with another terror group –the Pillayan who were as bad as or worse than the LTTE , because the Pillayan was backed by the Govt. to the hilt allowing them even to use weapons.

In some instances they had even gone to the prospective candidates’ houses and forced them at gun point to withdraw or contest under their symbol. Even, pro Govt. Douglas Devananda party had admitted that Pillayan group was committing atrocious crimes with impunity: abductions, intimidations and extortions.

It is alleged that a Mudalali. A friend of Minister Maithripala Sirisena was also a victim of extortion of the Pillayan group. The UNP candidates who were preparing for candidature was also threatened at gunpoint against contesting.

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http://lankaguardian.blogspot.com/2008/03/