Mahinda claims Ranil will create new SL with separated North and East

By Chamodi Gunawardana

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday claimed that Prime Minister Ranil Wickreme-singhe would create a new country which, as he has mentioned in his manifesto, would exist without the Northern and Eastern provinces.

“Ranil has promised to create a new country in the United National Party’s (UNP) manifesto and I am sure he will do it. He will allow the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) to do what they want and automatically the Northern and Eastern provinces will be erased from Sri Lanka’s map. This would be Ranil’s new country,” Rajapaksa said.

Addressing the gathering at the launch of the ‘National Accord’, held at the Viharamahadevi Open Air theatre, Rajapaksa further asserted that he would never allow the country to be separated.

“We saved this country from LTTE. Nevertheless, the TNA has raised its demand for a power-sharing arrangement in a remerged North and East under a federal structure. However, I promise over and over that I will never let anyone separate this country again,” Rajapaksa stressed.

Some 61 national and civil societies yesterday signed a ‘National Accord’ of five proposals, concerning the county’s security, economic development and political stability, with Rajapaksa.  

Muruththettuwe Ananda Thero, Medagoda Abayathissa Thero and several other monks of the Bhikkhu Voice and the National Unity organisations were present at the occasion.