Angry JHU vows to defeat Mahinda

• Monk-led party still undecided on support for common opposition candidate
• Will make decision following discussions about constitutional reform proposals: Champika
• “President on every lamppost, but not in people’s hearts”: Rathana Thero
• Former ally exposes UPFA misdeeds, says conspiracies hatched against ministers from within Govt.

By Dharisha Bastians
The Jathika Hela Urumaya, a key constituent of the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance has vowed to defeat President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the January presidential election, but remains undecided on whether it will support the common opposition candidate.
The party maintained it would reach a decision after discussing its proposals for constitutional reform and good governance with the Opposition candidate, Maithripala Sirisena.
After quitting their positions in the Government only early last week, JHU leaders who convened at New Town Hall in Colombo yesterday, made speeches that were dripping with contempt for President Rajapaksa’s administration.
“The door is now closed on negotiations with President Mahinda Rajapaksa,” former Science and Technology Minister in his Government, Champika Ranawaka told the crowd.
“We will now submit our proposals before the common candidate. Our decision on whether to support his candidature will depend on his policies,” the JHU MP said.
An angry Ranawaka charged that while people claim every Government in Sri Lanka has been corrupt, what was happening under the current administration was unprecedented robbery.
Accused by the Government of being part of a Western conspiracy, Ranawaka said the real conspiracy was within the Government. “Ministers inside this regime are dead men walking. The attacks on them, the cartoons, the leaks, come from within the Government. Children don’t run away from happy homes,” he hinted.
The former Minister accused Treasury Secretary P.B. Jayasundera of “pocketing” Rs. 48 per litre of petrol.
“A petrol litre has come down to Rs. 70 in the world market. What is happening to the rest? The people should surround CEB,” he charged.
The battles against corruption on this scale had to transcend party lines, Ranawaka said.
“We are ready to work together with any group that agrees to our main proposals and wants to work on good governance,” he explained.
“There is no point in being divided, only unity will bring about good governance and change,” he said.
JHU Chairman Athuraliye Rathana Thero, who has been the main architect of the party’s rebellion, said President Rajapaksa’s face was on every lamp-post, but he was no longer in the people’s hearts.
“We took our proposals to President Rajapaksa. We warned him to bring a check on this excessive power and corruption,” Rathana Thero said.
The monk added that the JHU had warned the President that if he does not heed their call they would work to defeat him at the next election.
“This is a principled stand. This is courage. We were not afraid to say it. This is how societies are changed,” Rathana Thero said in a charged speech.
JHU Assistant General Secretary Udaya Gamanpilla condemned President Rajapaksa’s move to release five Indian fishermen who were found guilty in a Sri Lankan court for heroin smuggling.