"I am not prepared to allow partitioning the country, be it proposed by the minority or majority community," Sarath Fonseka, the common opposition presidential candidate, said in a press meet held Saturday in Jaffna town. In response to a question Sarath Fonseka took pains to explain the difference between the role he had to play as a military officer in the past and his present role as a politician. He had to give priority to the safety of soldiers as the Military Commander and now as a politician he gives priority to the benefit of people, he added.
In response to another question about the thousands of young men and women who had gone missing after arrest by the armed forces during his period as the Jaffna Commander of Sri Lanka Army (SLA), Sarath Fonseka said that his is aware that some of the arrested youths are in prison while there are others who are no more.
He further said that he will disclose all particulars of the 10,0000 Tamil youths held in prisons now when he becomes the president of the country.
When it was pointed out that it was he who had been strict in establishing and maintaining the SLA High Security Zones (HSZs) in Jaffna peninsula, Sarath Fonseka again explained the difference between the roles of a military chief and a politician and promised that people will be allowed to resettle in the HSZs in Palaali, Mukamaalai, Thangki’lappu, Ariyaalai and Jaffna as soon as he is elected president.
There is no need for the HSZs as terrorism had been brought to an end and people could be resettled in their places, he further said.
He also said that the Vanni IDPs should immediately be resettled in their own places and the state should bear all expenses to rehabiltate the IDPs.
Sarath Fonseka pledged to make Palaali air port into a International Airport.
On being pointed out the contradicting views of JVP and UNP on finding a solution to the ethnic issue, Sarath Fonseka replied that it was he who had brought both political parties to participate together in this press meet and that the JVP, UNP, TNA and Muslim Congress political parties will lend their support in finding a solution for the ethnic issue within a united Sri Lanka acceptable to all communities.
Sarath Fonseka had told a foreign media that the Tamils in Sri Lanka are but second class citizens and when this was pointed out to him in the press meet he totally rejected the accusation claiming that his his words had been misreported.
"This Country belongs to all communities and the majority Sinhalese should live peacefully with all people," Sarath Fonseka said.
Commenting on Gothabaya Rajapakse, Sarath Fonseka said that he neither knew what politics is nor the role of the armed fores and added that he had come like a foreign emissary after spending 20 years out of Sri Lanka.
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