The JHU General Secretary Patali Champika Ranawaka today confirmed that the JHU would not support President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the forthcoming presidential election.

“We expect a positive response to our proposals from Common Candidate Maithripala Sirisena,” Ranawaka added saying the President rejected the 35  proposals presented to him by the JHU.

“We are ready to work together with any group that agrees with our main proposals in a bid to restore law and order in the country. “he said at an public meeting organized by the JHU at New Town Hall in Colombo ths evening.

“Today,” the former Minister said,”the UPFA Government has been taken hostage by several racketeers.” Ranawaka also added that under the present government certain casino owners have become more powerful than the country’s legislature.

Commenting on the present state of affairs in the country, Ranawaka said Sri Lanka’s economy is already running in the direction of bankruptcy and it is being handled by certain white collar criminals. He also questioned the government’s policy on carrying out development projects on loans.

“Today, Rs. 48 is being stolen from every liter of petrol. The economy is on the verge of a serious breakdown,” Ranawaka said. Therefore, Ranawaka said the country need to have right to importance and that is a matter of national importance.

“The country has a right to unearth the details of multi-million financial scams. Corruption has gone into herculean proportions. This is something unprecedented. The large majority of the Ministries only function for six months a year due to the lack of funds while only a handful of people are enjoying the benefits of the economy ” the former Minister said.

He added that they would not allow any leader who led the war to be prosecuted before international courts, whether they were in power or not. “But, we need to examine why certain countries who were supportive of us in 2009, voted against Sri Lanka a few years later. That is because some people turned the foreign policy into a lucrative business.” He said adding that the country is in a dire need of urgent reforms.

Athuraliye Rathana Thera, who addressed the same meeting, said they don’t have a personal problem with the President, but the JHU was merely fighting for rule of law and justice.

He added that the JHU, despite having only two seats in Parliament, was instrumental in blocking the Casino deal initiated by the Sri lankan government with Australian Casino Mogul James Packer.

“The next presidential election is against drug dealers: So we have to win the election. There is no other way,” Rathana Thera told cheering crowds who gathered at the New Town Hall Colombo this evening.

He assured that the JHU’s presidential campaign will be victorious and unstoppable. “We will not bow down to power. We will not bow down to money. And we are not afraid to go to jail,” Rathana Thera asserted stating that the JHU would create a “giant force” in the run up to the presidential election.

“Our decision will be decisive and it will be based on policies,”Rathana Thera said while adding that although the President’s picture are hanging on electricity posts, he is not in the hearts of the people.