ITAK’s support implies Sajith’s decision to accept pre-conditions: SLPP

The SLPP today said the ITAK's decision to support New Democratic Front presidential candidate Sajith Premadasa, indicated that the latter has accepted the conditions put forward by the TNA.

Addressing a news briefing, SLPP Chairman Professor G.L. Peiris said the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) was the main constituent of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) which made public 13 conditions to candidates of the presidential election.

"The TNA said they would only support the presidential candidate who would accept their conditions. Removal of the unitary state of the nation, merging of the North and East provinces and repealing of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) are some of their conditions. Had we not had the PTA in force, we would have been in great trouble in the aftermath of the Easter Sunday attack while launching investigations. SLPP candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa clearly said that he was rejecting their conditions," he said.

However, Mr.Peiris said that Mr. Premadasa kept mum over the conditions made by the TNA and the ITAK supporting him, only implied that he had accepted those conditions. "This shows the duplicity of uttering two different stories to the North and South. People reject such political culture with disgust," he said. (Lahiru Pothmulla)