By Franklin. R. Satyapalan
Some of you here are guilty of corruption and other grave wrong doings, President Chandrika Kumaratunga told PA candidates gathered at Anuradhapura on Friday and asked them to go before the court of the people and seek forgiveness.

Although the press was not allowed to remain within the precincts of the President’s Lodge in Anuradhapura where she addressed the candidates while this speech was being made, she was audible from outside the compound.

The president said that commendable human quality was to admit one’s mistakes. "All the religions preach forgiveness," she said. "I am not saying that you should go and explain all your wrong doings in detail but admit that you have made mistakes," she said.

"There is nobody who can claim that he has done no wrong in his life, the greatest quality is to admit one’s mistakes."

Earlier, the candidates signed a pledge which they read out aloud promising to endeavour to ensure a free and fair election devoid of violence.

In the course of her speech, Kumaratunga said that there were two Hitlers in the country - Ranil of Batalanda and SB of Hanguranketa. SB was going mad today and would soon have to be admitted to a mental asylum. If Ranil did not watch out, they would try to overthrow him from his party leadership.

She claimed that the problems between SB and her began over the prime ministership. When Ratnasiri Wickramanayake was appointed to this position last year, he was a very angry man. That was the start of their problem. He argued with her when she questioned him on various corruption allegations.

Prof. G.L. Peiris got angry with her when questioned on corruption over textile quotas. She also alleged connections between the UNP and LTTE saying Ranil had been continuously meeting agents of Prabhakaran.

The president said that she will be supplying the candidates reports on development work done by the government on a district basis with details of employment provided both locally and abroad in the Middle East and other countries like Korea, Malaysia and Cyprus.

"Use this information in you campaign and we will be able to win between 120 to 128 seats. We must win that many so that we can with other parties who support us form a stable government and command a two-third majority that will enable the necessary reforms."

Kumaratunga criticized the proportional representation (PR) system of elections saying that it did not permit the people’s will to be properly reflected. The candidates should concentrate on securing a PA victory instead of taking cover behind the useless PR system.

Previous elections have proved that minority votes were decisive in determining who forms the government as the Sinhala vote was split between the two major parties.

"I have never been a communal leader as you all know very well. I did not stir communal feelings even after a LTTE bomber attempted to kill me and I had a miraculous escape," she said.

She stressed that PA candidates must not harm or scold any Tamil merely because what the Tigers have done and accused the LTTE of conspiring with the UNP to bring down her government.

State intelligence sources have indicated on Thursday that the TULF list for the Ampara, Batticaloa and Trincomalee districts included LTTE sympathisers, many of them retired public servants, school principals, etc.

"All Tamils are not LTTE. Many of the Tamils have suffered immensely under the Tigers who forcibly conscript their children," she said cautioning her candidates not to tar the Tamils with the LTTE brush. She assured that the PA would provide a political solution to the Tamil people and other minorities in consultation with the Maha Sangha and all parties.

She urged the candidates to win over minority voters. Former moderates of the TULF like Mr. R. Sampanthan had been hijacked by the LTTE which had pressurized the Tamil parties to form the Tamil National Alliance.

This was because Ranil Wickremesinghe had secret talks with the LTTE in a bid to come to power at any cost. He had organised a group of businessmen with black money and has plundered the country by joining hands with the LTTE to woo the minority votes.

She alleged that the UNP had bribed the 12 MPs who had deserted the PA and said that the people would teach them a good lesson on December 5.

"I am the only leader who has not stirred communal feelings and helped the minorities always," she claimed.

The President alleged that SLMC leader M. H. M. Ashraff had been killed in a conspiracy and named a leading Muslim politician of being involved in this conspiracy. The investigations into political murders including that of Vijaya Kumaratunga had not been properly done. Even the investigation into the attempt on her own life continued to drag on despite all the resources utilised. She had to hold monthly progress meetings on the investigations into the attempt on her own life.

The president said that moderate Tamil MPs have sought various personal favours from her and she had always helped them. A lot of money had been allocated for the social upliftment of plantation people to Mr. Arumugam Thondaman. Employment as teachers, public health inspectors etc. had been given to plantation Tamils.

"I waived several millions of rupees of interest due from Arumugam Thondaman who had borrowed this money and kept saying "Madam, I will never desert the PA which has done so much for the plantation people and my grandfather. "But I had my doubts a year earlier when he kept meeting the UNP leader and other at various places. He has betrayed the plantation people and has not used over Rs. 288 million in funds granted despite the cost of the war and economic problems."