President insists he won’t run away

Tuesday, 6 January 2015 02:28 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

President Mahinda Rajapaksa says he will not leave Sri Lanka after the 8 January presidential election and will remain in the country. He was reacting to reports that the Opposition would close the international airport and not allow him to escape if he loses the election on Thursday.

Speaking at an election rally in Polonnaruwa on Sunday, Rajapaksa said that as a person who did not run away from the LTTE he would not run away from Sri Lanka. He also said that the Opposition was dreaming of victory on election day but in his opinion he would win and throw the Opposition manifesto in the dustbin. The President also noted that former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka, when he retired from service, had met him and said goodbye. Rajapaksa said that he had then asked Fonseka if he was going to contest for president and Fonseka had said he had not decided and they parted ways in a respectable manner. However, he said that when Maithripala Sirisena left the Government he did not even say goodbye but just left a day after having dinner with him. (Colombo Gazette)