CBK: MR is ‘exploiting’ Vijaya’s death anniversary
MR: If he had been alive he would have joined us

Police probing Lasantha’s killing asked to peruse Hansard

by Shamindra Ferdinando-February 17, 2016, 10:22 pm 

Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga on Tuesday accused her successor Mahinda Rajapaksa of exploiting her husband Vijaya Kumaratunga’s death anniversary.

Vijaya was gunned down at his Polhengoda residence on Feb 16, 1988. At the time of his death he was the General Secretary of Sri Lanka Mahajana Party, a breakaway faction of the SLFP.

Having participated in a commemorative event at the 18th Mile Post on the Colombo-Negombo main road, former

President Kumaratunga flayed Rajapaksa for organising another commemorative event at the New Town Hall. She said Rajapaksa hadn’t been on good terms with Vijaya and he was the only senior SLFPer who had not attended Vijaya’s funeral.

Kumaratunga alleged that Rajapaksa was capable of using even a cadaver to gain political mileage.

Addressing a gathering at the New Town hall, the former President Rajapaksa said had Vijaya been alive, he would have certainly thrown his weight behind the Opposition campaign.

The former President said that Mrs Kumaratunga had sided with those responsible for Vijaya’s assassination.

Referring to attacks on the media, the former President called for a fresh investigation into the assassination of The Sunday Leader editor Lasantha Wickrematunga.

The former President said that those investigating Wickrematunga’s assassination should peruse the Hansard. UNP veteran Joseph Michael Perera is on record as having said in parliament that the then Army Chief Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka operated a special unit tasked with targeting the media. The Gampaha District MP made the statement in his capacity as the Chief Opposition Whip.

Wickrematunga was assassinated on Jan. 8, 2009.