The United National Front said yesterday that if President Mahinda Rajapaksa did not keep his word on holding elections, they would take their campaign to the streets.

Leaders of the UNF, Ranil Wickremesinghe, Rauff Hakeem, Mangala Samaraweera, Sirimasiri Hapuarachchi and Sarath Manawadu told a news conference in Colombo that President Mahinda Rajapaksa who had boasted of advancing the date of the Presidential Polls should not back track now. "If he does not give us an election, we will take our campaign to the streets."

Leader of the UNP Ranil Wickremesinghe said that with the end of the war, Rajapaksa spoke of a vision and a development plan for the country, but that had not happened. On the contrary, only the Rajapaksa family had enriched itself, he alleged.

"On November 15, the strong man of Medamulana, gave a speech that only a street thug would engage in," Wickremesinghe said. "The economy is in shambles and the government is unable to pay the salaries of workers. The health and education systems have collapsed and human rights of the people are being violated with impunity," Wickremesinghe said.

President Rajapaksa, he said was drifting and had let down his own party Convention by not listening to their demand for a Presidential Poll but the UNF demanded and was ready for any election.

Leader of the SLMC Rauff Hakeem, said it was the government that spoke about advancing the date of the Presidential Poll by two years."If they go back on their word now, then its an admission of defeat.The best forum for announcing an election,would have been the SLFP convention,but the President dodged the issue."

He said that the people had expected a change for the better once the LTTE was defeated, but the government had ensured that the fear psychosis continued so that it could cover up its incompetence and inability to achieve economic prosperity.

"The Emergency Regulations are being used to suppress the people’s democratic rights and media freedom while the President was violating the Constitution by not establishing the independent commissions which were a sine qua non for good governance," Hakeem said. "The minorities were promised devolution of power, but that, too, has been conveniently forgotten."

Leader of the SLFP(M) Mangala Samaraweera said that the SLFP convention had been postponed from September 2 to November 15 and the people told that important announcements would be made on that day but in the end nothing had come of it.

"According to the SLFP constitution the convention is the highest decision making body. But when the membership responding to the President’s question said that they wanted a Presidential Poll first, he dodged it by saying that the party needed to be consulted. Or, does he want to seek the advice of the Indian Jothiswarya (fortune teller)?"

Samaraweera said that when President Chandrika Kumaratunga used to ask SLFPers if they wanted an early Presidential Election,they would plead with her not do such a thing. But when President Rajapaksa asked the same question, the membership promptly replied "yes. This proves that they do not mind him losing two years of his tenure."

The President had no moral right to continue in office and if he did not call a fresh election, the UNF would take their campaign onto the streets to ensure that the Rajapaksas were sent home, Samaraweera said.

Leader of the Eksath Jathika Peramuna, Sirimasiri Hapuarachchi said that the SLFP abused State resources to conduct its annual convention on November 15.

"Samurdhi recipients were threatened to attend the convention and SLTB buses were diverted for the purpose of transporting people to the Khettarama Stadium," Hapuarachchi said. Villagers who had been taken to Colombo were now complaining that they had not been provided with return transport."

Leader of the Nava Hela Urumaya, Sarath Manamendra said that when he had asked SLFPers the reason for wanting a Presidential Election first,their reply had been: "Why should we stick our necks out, after the President has been boasting of advancing Poll dates."