By: Isuru Parakrama
Colombo (LNW): Leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and former President Maithripala Sirisena addressing a briefing at the Party headquarters said he will contest the upcoming Presidential Election despite harassment.
The President’s comment came in in response to the allegations levelled against him in connection with the Easter Sunday carnage.
Reminding that prior to the Supreme Court ruling, he was shown by media as if he was Zahran Hahsim himself, Sirisena urged the media bodies to propagate accurate information.
“Even I agree with the SJB on their demand that indictments should be filed pertaining to the Easter attack. Being told that I mass-murdered Zahran, some think that I too am a murderer like Zahran. When the SJB lodges this matter, they should remember that during Ranasinghe Premadasa’s time, Karuna Amman told the Police to surrender. Premadasa did tell them to surrender. Around 700 people were killed. But the SJB demands that I be punished,” Sirisena said.
The former President went on: “Terrorist attacks were launched on the Anuradhapura Airbase because the Air Force was drunk at the time. We ask whether a probe was carried out. Bomb attacks were launched during every President’s tenure.
Even America failed to avert the September 11 attack despite receiving intelligence a week earlier.
The verdict says that I was not aware of this. Hemasiri Fernando did not inform me whatsoever.
Every Tuesday, there is a meeting at the Defence Ministry under the Secretary’s patronage. The matter was not discussed there. Even Nelson Mandela was in prison for 27 years. I will not be fallen.”
