Addressing a rally in Wattala, he said the verdict given regarding pictorial warnings on cigarette packs was changed by one such phone call.
 
He said the present regime was once a leftist one but now it had gone off the track. "It has gone off track as the sons of those who run it travel by helicopter just to ride a horse that was brought down from the UK," he said.
 
Mr Sirisena also pledged to implement pension schemes for all -- including Sri Lamkan expatriates.
 
Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said the future national government would continue the ongoing development work but end the corruption involved in it.
 
UNP MP Ruwan Wijewardene said the Opposition had nothing to do with the LTTE though the government made such accusations.
 
MP John Amaratunga scoffed at reports that he would cross over to the government.
 
MPs Sajith Premadasa, Rajitha Senaratne and Joseph Michael Perera also spoke. (Yohan Perera)

Pix by Pradeep Pathirana