[Nandana Gunathilaka at the press conference]
Former JVP presidential candidate ( 1999) Nanadana Gunathilaka, who has been a ruling party politician for years, says that ”Rajapakse rule prevails in any position of responsibility in the country. In short, this is a Rajapakse jungle” , reports Lanka Views.
He resigned from the ruling party and joined the opposition ranks today.
He was the first chairman of the UPFA when it was formed in 2004 and joined the SLFP after the JVP left the alliance. He bacame the mayor of Panadura UC, later.
He told the press conference that ”he did everything to bring President Rajapakse to power, he decided to leave the UPFA government since the Rajapakse family regime accommodates the reign of corruption in the country while carrying out a dictatorial rule in an arbitrary manner, reports the web site.
Nandana Gunathilaka expressed his views by saying, “At present, everything is owned by the Rajapakses. Rajapakse rule prevails in any position of responsibility in the country. In short, this is a Rajapakse jungle”. He said that although he will not be joining any party, he will provide his full support for the victory of a common candidate. He further said that his primary objectives are to defeat the executive presidential system, change the electoral process and to establish independent commissions.
He has further told media that ” it was they who brought President Mahinda Rajapaksa to power and it will be they who will campaign to send him home. “I should have taken this decision earlier. But I did everything possible to turn this Government away from corruption. I have actively engaged in the activities of the Pivithuru Hetak Udesa Jathika Sanvidanaya and the discussions on fielding a common candidate, “he had said reports the Daily Mirror.
“Today the Rajapaksas are ruling the roost in Parliament and those close to them have been appointed to almost all government institutions and to our embassies abroad,” he had aid.
Mr. Gunathilaka said there was neither democracy nor media freedom in Sri Lanka after 2010 with some journalists even having to leave the country to save themselves.
“We can’t say there is democracy in the country just because there are no dead bodies on the road. The lack of media freedom and democracy had led some journalists to go abroad for their safety. This is not a good situation. For some time now I have not seen any articles or any news criticising members of the Rajapaksa family,” Mr. Gunathilaka said.