Sri Lanka’s ruling party pledged justice on Thursday for thousands of victims of the island’s separatist war as it released its manifesto ahead of next month’s general election.

 

The United National Party (UNP) promised to work with the UN to ensure accountability for war crimes committed during the conflict that ended in 2009, a longstanding demand of ethnic minority Tamils.

 

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe urged support for his party to strengthen gains made at January presidential elections when Maithripala Sirisena ousted longtime strongman Mahinda Rajapakse.

 

“The voters have a clear choice,” Wickremesinghe said as he presented copies of the manifesto to influential Buddhist monks at a ceremony in Colombo.

 

“Either vote for my party to prevent the division of the country on ethnic lines and end corruption or vote for Rajapakse and his alliance.”

 

Wickremesinghe is the prime ministerial candidate from the UNP which backed Sirisena at the bitterly fought January poll.

(The News International)