Opposition accuses Army of political campaigning for President, Army denies
Saturday, 20 December 2014 00:00
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Sri Lanka’s main Opposition United National Party (UNP) on Thursday accused army chief Lieutenant General Daya Ratnayake of deploying troops to campaign for Commander-in-Chief President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the upcoming presidential elections.
Joint Opposition media spokesman Mangala Samaraweera accused Army Commander Daya Ratnayake of deploying troops to campaign for the President and said his conduct was in violation of election laws and would be reported to international election monitors.
“The deployment of soldiers for such political work is destroying the dignity of the uniform,” Samaraweera told media.
Military spokesman Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya denied opposition claims that soldiers were used to distribute material in support of the President.
“The statement that the army has employed soldiers for election-related propaganda is baseless and extremely presumptuous,” Wanigasooriya was quoted in media as saying.
Brigadier Wanigasooriya denied a claim made by Samaraweera that the military had last month included Rajapaksa’s election propaganda leaflets in soldiers’ pay packets.
The military spokesman said they would investigate the claim if the Opposition provided information on any such instances.
Some members of the Opposition have also raised concerns over the Army Commander’s briefings to the troops in the North where he speaks about foreign conspiracies to destabilise the country and updates the troops on Government welfare projects extended by the President and the Ministry of Defence.
