National Freedom Front leader Wimal Weerawansa said today that several important personalities are ready to join the new political front to be formed by the 'Joint Opposition'.

Speaking at a press conference today, Weerawansa said that the new political front will carry out a significant and historical task for the country, in contrast to the policies of the present government.

He further maintained that there was no doubt regarding the formation of the new front.

His remarks came amidst serious speculation that former defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa may lead the new political front. However, Rajapaksa had denied that he will lead it, despite acknowledging the need for such a front. His brother, Former Minister Basil Rajapaksa, recently indicated that he was actively engaged in organizational work for a new political movement.

National Freedom Front leader Wimal Weerawansa yesterday emphasized that his party will contest the forthcoming Local Government Elections under a new front.

Speaking at a press conference at the party headquarters, Weerawansa said that the government can not be defeated under the leadership of President Maithripala Sirisena.

The LG Elections should be treated as the first step towards toppling the government, the NFF leader said.

Weerawansa argued that the government was acting according to instructions and needs of the western powers.

Several leaders of the 'Joint Opposition' in Parliament, which is composed of the MPs backing former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, have suggested that a new front will be formed to contest the LG polls. The election is expected later this year.

National Freedom Front leader Wimal Weerawansa today said that the United National Party changed its stance on the constitutional reform process within a single day due to the the pressure from the Tamil National Alliance.

Speaking to the media at the NFF headquarters today, Weerawansa said that the Parliament cannot be converted into a Constitutional Assembly. Under the current legal provisions, a new constitution has to be drafted by a Parliamentary Select Committee, he maintained.

He added that the UNP agreed to this point in a Party Leaders' meeting held yesterday morning. Even the Prime Minister and the President agreed that the process should go through a Parliamentary Select Committee at meetings held in the evening, he added.

However, the UNP completely changed its stance again at the newx Party Leaders' meeting held late last night, he said, claiming that the TNA made the UNP change its stance. Accordingly, the Leader of the House Lakshman Kiriella had insisted that the process should be done by converting the Parliament into a Constitutional Assembly.

Weerawansa claimed that this was an attempt to bypass the Supreme Court and change the constitution.

He added that the SLFP members of the government and the JVP also opposed the mechanism suggested by the UNP and the TNA.

National Freedom Front (NFF) leader Wimal Weerawansa today said that he would contest the forthcoming Local Government Elections together with former JVP leader Somawansa Amarasinghe.

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Addressing a media briefing in Colombo, Weerawansa also said that they were planning to contest for LG elections along with the 10 parties of the United People's Freedom alliance (UPFA).

This would mean that Amarasinghe is now a member of the 'united opposition' which supports former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Weerawansa broke away from the JVP in 2008, when Amarasinghe was its leader. He held the post of Propaganda Secretary of the party for more than a decade. He later found the National Freedom Front.

Amarasinghe became the leader of JVP after its second insurrection collapsed in 1989. He resigned from JVP on April 16 this year, claiming that the party was intentionally delaying the process of building socialism in the country. He later established a new party named Janatha Sewaka Party.

However, Amarasinghe was known as a severe critic of Weerawansa from 2008. He continued to criticize Weerawansa even after breaking away from the JVP.

Interestingly, Amarasinghe recently said that he would even join Weerawansa to fight against the UNHRC Resolution on Sri Lanka which was recently passed at the UNHRC in Geneva.

The investigative mechanism proposed by UNHRC resolution is a 'national challenge' and it should be defeated at any cost, he asserted, giving the possibility of an alliance with Weerawansa.

National Freedom Front leader and UPFA MP Wimal Weerawansa today slammed the government for arresting Frontline Socialist Party Central Committee Member Kumar Gunaratnam for alleged Immigration Law violations.

Speaking at a press conference in Colombo, Weerawansa said that the government was inviting the diaspora to obtain dual citizenship while trying to deport a political activist born in Sri Lanka. It was simply a case of double standards of the government, he argued.

Weerawansa pointed out that he was opposed to the arrest of Gunaratnam, despite the ideological differences between his party and Gunaratnam's party.

Both Weerawansa and Gunaratnam were JVP members until Weerawansa broke away from the party to form the NFF. However, the present JVP leadership denies any knowledge of Gunaratnam being a party member.

National Freedom Front leader and UPFA MP Wimal Weerawansa today slammed the government for not responding to the serious and baseless allegations leveled at the security forces by the UNHRC.

In a letter to President Maithripala Sirisena, Weerawansa said that the country's sovereignty has been challenged by the UNHRC resolution, co-sponsored by Sri Lanka. The resolution suggests a tribunal outside the judiciary in the country and allows for the international intervention in the mechanism to probe alleged war crimes.

Furthermore, the Office of the High Commission on Human Rights Investigation on Sri Lanka (OISL) report levels serious allegations at the security forces, to which the government should have responded, Weerawansa pointed out.

The OISL report, in its 571st paragraph, alleges that the army was responsible for sexual violence, while there in no evidence of such practice by the LTTE, Weerawansa pointed out. Meanwhile, in the 600th paragraph, the armed forces are accused of rape in detention. Furthermore, the 981, 982 and 983 paragraphs allege the army did not supply the displaced people with food, sanitary facilities and other essentials and left them to die, Weerawansa said.

Meanwhile, the report also says that the army indiscriminately shelled civilians, Weerawansa also points out.

He adds that these allegations are leveled by the OISL report irrespective of the fact that the army saved 290,000 hostages from the clutches of the LTTE in the last days of the war. The fact that these allegations are baseless is proved by some of the findings of the Paranagama Report, Weerawansa also argues.

Therefore, Weerawansa says the government should refute such baseless accusations and actively engage to spread the truth to the world.

The Magisterial inquiry against UPFA MP Wimal Weerawansa will be taken up today at the Negombo Magistrate's Court.

Weerawansa, who was arrested at Katunayake BIA on October 23 for discrepancy in his passports released on bail on the same day.

Speaking to media on the day of his arrest, Weerawansa said that he recently lost his passport and had obtained a new one. Later he found the lost passport and had mistakenly sent it to stamp the visa. However in this period he also lost the passport he had newly obtained, Weerawansa further maintained.

UPFA MP Wimal Weerawansa, who was arrested by the CID over possession of two passports, was released on bail by Negombo Additional Magistrate Thilakaratne Bernard.

He was released on a cash bail of Rs. 10,000 and two sureties of Rs. one million each.

Weerawansa was stopped from leaving the country this morning over a passport discrepancy and was detained by the CID. He was arrested later in the day.

He arrived at the airport to board a flight for Rome, Italy. He was to visit Europe for a lecture series.

Speaking to media earlier in the day, Weerawansa said that he recently lost his passport and had obtained a new one. Later he found the lost passport and had mistakenly sent it to stamp the visa. However in this period he also lost the passport he had newly obtained, Weerawansa further maintained.

According to Weerawansa, the Immigration officers had told him that if he was able to get new passport, he could travel with the Visa stamped in the old passport. Thereafter, he had visited the Immigration and Emigration office in Colombo and obtained a new passport. Then he had returned to BIA with the rejected old passport and the new passport.

CID officers, who were present at the time stopped and questioned him, Weerawansa said.

The CID today arrested UPFA MP Wimal Weerawansa at the Bandaranaike International Airport over discrepancy in his passport, the police said.

Weerawansa was stopped from leaving the country this morning over a passport discrepancy and was detained by the CID.

He arrived at the airport to board a flight for Rome, Italy. He was to visit Europe for a lecture series.

It was reported that Weerawansa had obtained visa for a passport which he reported lost.

Speaking to media earlier in the day, Weerawansa said that he recently lost his passport and had obtained a new one. Later he found the lost passport and had mistakenly sent it to stamp the visa. However in this period he also lost the passport he had newly obtained, Weerawansa further maintained.

According to Weerawansa, the Immigration officers had told him that if he was able to get new passport, he could travel with the Visa stamped in the old passport. Thereafter, he had visited the Immigration and Emigration office in Colombo and obtained a new passport. Then he had returned to BIA with the rejected old passport and the new passport.

CID officers, who were present at the time stopped and questioned him, Weerawansa said.

Leader of the House Lakshman Kiriella told Parliament that legal clearance was facilitated to UPFA MP Wimal Weerawansa to go abroad by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's intervention, after he was stopped at Katunayake Bandaranayake International Airport this morning.

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Weerawansa arrived at the airport to board a flight for Rome, Italy. However, he was stopped due to an issue with his passport and questioned by the CID.

He was to visit Europe for a lecture series.