Artistes Somaratne, Dharmasiri to support Maithripala

Wednesday, 10 December 2014 00:42 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

A key member of the large group of artistes strongly supportive of President Mahinda Rajapaksa has announced that he will be backing the candidacy of Maithripala Sirisena at the 8 January presidential poll.

Veteran film director Dharmasiri Bandaranayake addresses the media along with Somaratne Dissanayake and Bennet Rathnayake - Pic by Shehan Gunasekera Veteran Film Director Somaratne Dissanayake and his wife Renuka Balasooriya, staunch supporters of President Rajapaksa in all previous elections in recent years, endorsed Sirisena’s platform for good governance and abolition of the presidency. Addressing a special press briefing at the Solis Hotel in Kotte yesterday, Dissanayake said that the people of Sri Lanka had given President Rajapaksa a mandate in 2010 because they were grateful for the victory over the LTTE. Veteran film director Dharmasiri Bandaranayake was also present along with Bennet Rathnayake. The Film Director said President Rajapaksa’s tenure had been marked by lawlessness and rampant corruption. The defection is a heavy blow to the Rajapaksa campaign which has traditionally secured the support of most mainstream artistes in the film and music industries. Dissanayake and Balasooriya had been leading members of this artistes’ corps. (DB)