Inumbent Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, locked in a presidential battle with his former army chief will not seek support from the parents of slain LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran.
Rajapaksa has said he would not take even a "single cent" from Prabhakharan’s parents who are in a welfare camp in the Wanni, amidst earlier reports about his challenger Sarath Fonseka stating he was not averse to accepting their support.
"I won’t accept from Prabhakaran’s parents even millions or billions while I would gladly take a donation of even a cent from our toiling peasants," Rajapaksa said accepting a donation of Rs 300,000 from a peasant farmer from Anuradhapura in North Central Sri Lanka.
Rajapaksa said he would borrow money from any bank in the world in order to develop the country but he would never take "five cents" from Prabhakaran’s mother and father.
"I would rather take money from a poor farmer than betray the country," he told a large gathering of people while addressing his first public rally since handing in his nominations for the January 26 presidential poll.
In his maiden press conference late last month, Fonseka had said he was ready to secure even the support Prabhakaran’s parents.
(For updates you can share with your friends, follow TNN on Facebook and Twitter )