MR denies building a presidential residence in Kankesanthurai

Friday, 6 March 2015 00:50 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday denied the allegations that a presidential residence was being built for his exclusive use in Kankesanthurai, while claiming that these speculations were results of a campaign launched against him to tarnish his image. Issuing a media statement the ex-President requested the public not to be misled by this malicious propaganda campaign. “Wide publicity has been given to images of what is purported to be a half-built presidential residence in Kankesanthurei which is said to have been constructed for my exclusive use. I wish to inform the public that no presidential residence was being built for me in Kankesanthurei,” Rajapaksa said.

Speaking further, he pointed out that the property in Kankesanthurai was an International Relations Centre belonging to the Presidential Secretariat which was being constructed by the Navy and that the portraying of these establishments as ‘presidential residences’ was part of a campaign of vilification against him that has been going on for the past few months. “The public may be aware that some of the best known convention centres in the country such as the BMICH, the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute and Nelum Pokuna came under the Presidential Secretariat. The International Relations Centres in Kankesanthurei and Arugam Bay were being built not as presidential residences but as international convention centres to be used when Sri Lanka hosts international events. These centres would also have been used when foreign dignitaries and other such individuals and delegations visited the north or the east. With the establishment of peace, a heavy influx of foreign visitors to these areas was expected. Unlike the older convention centres coming under the Presidential Secretariat, these new establishments had been designed with residential facilities and Cabinet approval was granted for these international relations centres,” Rajapaksa said in the statement.

Stop political revenge, Namal appeals

Xinhua: A son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa said on Thursday that political revenge on his family and his political party supporters continue in Sri Lanka and urged the authorities to put an end to it. Namal Rajapaksa, the eldest son of the former President and a Member of Parliament representing the opposition Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), said that political revenge by trade unions also continued and ‘innocent’ people continued to be victimised. “Innocent people are being punished for supporting the SLFP. Political revenge from trade unions and others needs to stop,” Rajapaksa said. Rajapaksa is a member of the SLFP which is currently headed by Sri Lanka’s new President Maithripala Sirisena after he was appointed Party Chairman following the defeat of Mahinda Rajapaksa in the January presidential elections. Soon after his defeat, the former President had urged the new Government to stop acts of political revenge being carried out on his family and his supporters. The Government however maintained that it was not taking any political revenge on the former president but was instead conducting bribery and corruption investigations against the former Government.