July 27, Colombo: Sri Lanka Opposition Leader and the leader of the United National Party (UNP) Ranil Wickremasinghe said that the 'People's Wave' was the beginning of a campaign to end the rule of the current President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his brothers.

Wickremasinghe said that although many presidents ruled the country in the past, the only President who governs the country without a mandate from people is the current President Percy Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Addressing the protest rally in Hyde Park, Colombo yesterday, the Opposition Leader accused the current President of coming into power through a secret pact with the Tamil Tigers.

The protest campaign in the theme of ‘Country Devastated; Come Forward’ was jointly organized by the UNP and the SLFP – People’s Wing.

UNP National Organizer S.B. Dissanayaka, SLFP – People’s Wing Co-leader Mangala Samaraweera, UNP Colombo district leader Ravi Karunanayaka, Western People’s Front leader Mano Ganeshan, UNP Katana organizer and film actor Ranjan Ramanayaka, UNP Central Colombo organizer Mohammed Maharuf and SLFP People’s Wing Coordinator Sripathi Suriyaarachchi also addressed the rally.

Meanwhile, The UNP dissident group who crossed over to the government side earlier this year is planning to launch an island wide campaign to educate the people on the duplicity practiced by the UNP.

"We will not allow the UNP to mislead the people at a time the government is doing its utmost to address the national issue and we will help maintain the majority in Parliament," Sports Minister Gamini Lokuge told the media yesterday.

He accused the Opposition Leader of removing r the Deputy Leader of the UNP Karu Jayasuriya from the party to create a Deputy Prime Minister post for Mangala Samaraweera under a different 'company'.

The dissident group is planning to hold awareness rallies in Gampaha, Kandy, Matara, Kurunegala and other main cities during the next few weeks.