No proof China backing MR at polls says Mangala

The Government said that there was no proof to back claims that China was supporting the election campaign of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera, responding to a question posed by the Colombo Gazette on a live chat over the Facebook page of the BBC Sinhala service, said that he was aware of unconfirmed reports that the Chinese Government was funding Mahinda Rajapaksa’s election campaign.

“None of these allegations have been substantiated. And I don’t believe that the Chinese Government will stoop to those levels,” the Foreign Minister said.

Rajapaksa is contesting the 17 August Parliament Election under the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and is being backed by the party to be the next Prime Minister.

During his term as President, Rajapaksa was known to have had very close ties with the Chinese Government and was at times also accused of receiving funds from the Chinese as gifts for his personal use.

The United National Party (UNP), after it took office in January this year, launched investigations into some of the projects funded by the Chinese and suspended some projects pending further investigations.

Rajapaksa has however said that if he becomes Prime Minister after the Parliamentary Election he will resume the Chinese-funded projects. 

(Colombo Gazette)