Opposition protest against Rajapakse govt

Colombo, July 26: Thousands of people today took to streets in Colombo to participate in a rally organised by the opposition parties against President Mahinda Rajapakse's coalition government.

The rally was jointly organised by the main opposition United National Party (UNP) and the People's Wing of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), led by break-away ministers of the ruling caolition and former Ministers Mangala Samaraweera and Sripathi Sooriarachchi.

Thousands of people, party members and volunteers were seen holding anti-government and anti-president placards. They were chanting anti-government slogans charging the government with high-scale corruption, human rights violations and political malpractises.

In the meantime, the ruling coalition also held rallies at regional level mainly in the pre-dominant Sinhala towns and villages against the Opposition.

Hundreds of people and party members who took part in these rallies were shouting slogans charging the UNP and former Minister Mangala Samaraweera and Sripathi Sooriarachchi of trying to belittle the military victory in the eastern province against the Tamil Tigers.

UNI