Ruling UPFA to Challenge Gen Fonseka’s Candidature in Courts

Just before the release of the sixth Presidential Election results, the United People’s Freedom Alliance at a suddenly arranged press briefing in Colombo announced that they would go to courts challenging the eligibility of common opposition candidate who was the former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka.

Unitede Peoples Freedom Alliance stalwarts told the media that the government would challenge the legitimacy of the opposition candidate Fonseka who was unable to put his name in the electoral registry.

Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said that they were seeking a court order on the suitability of the opposition candidate as he was not eligible to be declared as a candidate”.

He said that they would seek court action to have Fonseka ruled out of the race after the former general was unable to vote in the election because his name was not on the electoral list. Anyway, the Commissioner of Elections Dayananda Dissanayake in a statement said that not having one's name on the electoral list is not a disqualification to be a candidate.

Foreign Affairs Minister flanked by Ministers Prof. GL Pieris, Susil Premajayantha, Rajitha Senarathne, Patali Champika Ranawaka, Dinesh Gunawardene, and JNP MP Wimal Weerawansha said that the government would challenge this assessment.

He also said that what the Election Commissioner had merely expressed was an opinion, but the courts interpret the law.

Ministers who gathered at the Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) said that General Fonseka has no any chance to win the elections. “We are confident we will win, but we want the court to rule on his candidacy."

They also said that the former Army Chief was doing a fraud and he waited for the last minute to reveal that he had not registered for the rights of franchise. “This is something improbable; seeking a mandate from general public when he himself has no voting rights, must be the first time in the world,” Minister Rajitha Senarathne told the media.

- Asian Tribune -