UNP Calls for Presidential election

While the United National Party says it is not interested in forming a government by capitalizing on a crisis situation faced by President Kumaratunga, it's, calling for a Presidential election by the end of this year. The UNP is of the view that the Presidential election should be held by the end of this year, while the government and the President had gone on record saying she can stay in power till the end of next year. The UNP will begin its pressure campaign with the Jana Bala Meheyuma next month to exert pressure on the President and the government. Party leader Ranil Wickremasinghe has already begun his election campaign. The SLFP and the JVP are yet to announce its candidates.

Some sections of the UNP are calling for the President to resign immediately without leading the country into oblivion. UNP MP, Mano Wijeratne said "She must resign immediately because she is not decisive as a leader. Look at leaders like JRJ and Ranil Wickremasinghe. They took decisions at the right time for the sake of the country however, hard it was for them. She just cannot make her mind up. If she cannot do it she must hand it over to a person who can do it, hold Presidential elections and let the people decide". Wijeratne said that one must look at the state of the economy to see how decisive Chandrika was. "Look at the cost of living. She has not made any decision on the Petroleum Corporation, Electricity Board and whole lot of other issues. Leader should be able to make decisions added Wijeratne. The UNP also urged Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse to break his silence and come out openly and explain to the country his stance on the proposed joint mechanism. Rajapakse, who has a reputation as a grass root leader, is yet to explain his position and has on several occasions said that he is not fully aware of the mechanism.