MR denies receiving funds from China for polls

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa has denied receiving money from China to help him in his election campaign.

He also accused the United National Party (UNP) of receiving money from Western countries through various organisations.

“Please tell them to give me money,” he said laughing when asked by Shree FM Radio to respond to allegations he received funds from China for the August 17 Parliamentary election.

Mahinda Rajapaksa also denied having secret deals with anyone and insisted that he is always transparent in his transactions.

Rajapaksa also told the radio station in an interview that he always stood for democracy and stressed that Western countries do not need to teach him about democracy.

The former President said that he lost the January 8 Presidential election, mainly as a result of the votes he failed to receive in the North.

However he said that despite knowing even earlier that he will lose elections in the North he had decided to give the Tamils in the North the right to vote by establishing the Northern Provincial Council.

Rajapaksa also said that if the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) wins the August 17 Parliamentary election his Government will give the Tamils a political solution to address their concerns. (Colombo Gazette)