UNP and DNA to join hands to release Fonseka in Sri Lanka

The UNP and Democratic National Alliance (DNA) are likely to join hands and form an alliance once again to free former army commander Sarath Fonseka who is now imprisoned in Welikada.

The UNP has invited the DNA to join their protest campaign to free Fonseka who was sentenced last Friday to 30 months in jail. UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake told LAKBIMAnEWS that they have already sent out an invitation calling on the DNA to join them in their bid to release Fonseka.

The UNP and the JVP, for the first time in their political history joined hands during the last presidential election to work together to campaign for Fonseka s victory.

We believe that it s better to conduct the protests together because we can then create a bigger impact. This is the time that all political parties and civil society organizations should come together to free Fonseka who has been wrongfully imprisoned, he said.

UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe is scheduled to meet political parties and various organizations this week to come to a final agreement.
Attanayake added that they refuse to accept the court martial decision and they have already complained to the Human Rights Council in Geneva. Gampaha District parliamentarian, Dr. Jayalath Jayawardana is currently in Geneva to do the necessary spadework he added.

We have organized a series of religious ceremonies with the participation of all religious leaders which will commence at Pugoda from October, 3. We need to gather all those who are against this regime, he said.

Meanwhile the DNA has not yet taken a final decision about forming a formal alliance with the UNP, DNA General Secretary MP Vijitha Herath told LAKBIMAnEWS.

He added that their campaign is open to anyone and that the DNA launched its protest campaign demanding Fonseka s release in Kadawatha yesterday. Police have been meanwhile deployed to sabotage their poster campaign to protest Fonseka s arrest. Several JVPers who were putting up posters have been taken into custody at several places and in certain areas posters have even been torn by police personnel, Herath said.