Presidential Advisor A.H.M. Azwer who is on the UPFA National List last week raised the question of the undated letters of resignation obtained by former President J.R. Jayewardene from UNP candidates running at a parliamentary election and said that the present UNP leader, Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe, was following suit.

Azwer claimed that such letters had no legal validity and advised Wickremesinghe to consult his uncle, Mr. Sam Wijesinha, former Secretary General of Parliament who knew all about this subject.

"When Mr. Jayewardene obtained such letters, Mr. Wijesinha who was an authority on parliamentary practice and procedure, told JRJ that if such undated letters were submitted to him he would refuse to accept them.

JRJ, with a wry smile, said in his inimitable manner that he would then find an alternative method.

Azwer was speaking at an UPFA meeting at Katugampola in the Kurunegala District to support UPFA candidate Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa.

He said that General Sarath Fonseka’s defeat at the last presidential election saved the country from forces hell-bent on destabilizing Sri Lanka but local agents of international conspirators were still attempting to bring down the Rajapaksa regime.

"But all these efforts will be completely negated since the people of this country are determined to give strength and stability to a leader who saved the country from terrorism and restored dignity and honour to the motherland,’’ Azwer said.

Reverting to the subject of resignation letters from candidates, Azwer said that if Erskine May was alive today, he would be flabbergasted to learn that in a country called Sri Lanka, a leader named Ranil Wickremesinghe was trying to defy all norms and ethics of parliamentary governance by resorting to obtain resignation letters from candidates even before they were elected.

"I can only advise my former colleagues in the UNP to take this with a pinch of salt since neither constitution nor the standing orders of parliament allow such practices," he said.

Requesting UNP candidates contesting this election to run without their legs being tied, he declared that "they must run like Cotton Hall although the majority will not be able to find the winning post.’’