By IANS
Colombo : Sri Lanka’s main opposition parties boycotted functions organised by the government to celebrate the country’s 60th Independence Day Monday.
“There is no freedom in the country under President Mahinda Rajapaksa,” said Tissa Attanayake, general secretary and spokesman of the main opposition United National Party (UNP).
“The UNP will conduct religious ceremonies in places of worship to make the occasion solemn,” he told the media.
“This is not the first time the UNP is boycotting the Independence Day celebrations,” said C. Mahendran, former ambassador and advisor to the UNP on international affairs.
“Ever since Rajapaksa took away 17 of our members of parliament in September 2006, breaking a solemn pact on bipartisan cooperation, we have boycotted government functions on this day,” Mahendran told IANS.
“The other issue is the president’s refusal to appoint members to the Constitutional Council set up under the 17th amendment. The Constitutional Council had been established to make appointments to the police and election commissions. By not enabling the constitutional council to function, the executive is trampling on the constitution,” Mahendran added.
The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), a pro-Tamil Tiger party, also did not attend the Independence Day parade at Galle Face Green.
The SLMC broke away from the Rajapaksa-led coalition last year, and the TNA has always been at odds with his government.