KANDY - The common Opposition candidate at the forthcoming Presidential Election General Sarath Fonseka told the Malwatta and Asgiriya prelates yesterday (30) that his ambition was the formation of a just and efficient administration free of bribery, corruption and vice.

General Fonseka paid homage to the Sacred Tooth relic at the Sri Dalada Maligawa and called on the most Venerable Tibbatuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Mahanayake Thero of Malwatte.

Subsequently he called on the Most Venerable Udugama Sri Buddharakkitha Mahanayake Thero of the Asgiriya chapter.

General Fonseka told the prelates that he would be supported by a number of political parties and that there were several others from the government willing to support him at the Presidential Election.

He said that he was able to successfully defeat the LTTE terrorism and what was required now was development of the country.

"The barrier to the country’s development was the prevalence of bribery, corruption and vice. My ambition is to establish a clean administration free of bribery, corruption and all types of vice," he told the prelates and requested their blessings to achieve success at the election.

Most Venerable Tibbatuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Mahanayake Thero of Malwatte told General Fonseka that he (prelate) appreciated the performance of General Fonseka in defeating terrorism.

"You did your duty well and President Mahinda Rajapaksa too was pleased with your performance and appointed you to a high position," he said.

"We are aware that you could have retired even earlier, at least one and a half years ago. We wish you success in your endeavour," the prelate added.

The Mahanayake of Asgiriya, Sri Buddharakkitha Thero said, "Your service in defeating LTTE terrorism was remarkably excellent. We were of the opinion that you would live a retired life after retirement from service."

Sarath Fonseka later told the media at Asgiriya Vihare that amity among the Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim communities was of paramount importance, for the development of the country.

The second phase of victory is economic development, he said.

Fonseka said that same mouths that praised him over the success against terrorism were now slinging mud on him but that mud would return to them forthwith.