He was speaking at a media briefing this morning (30) organized by several leftist parties.

The leftist parties are of the stance that there is nothing wrong in freeing LTTE detainees, said Nanayakkara.

However, after their release, they should be closely monitored by the government, he stressed.

Answering a question, he admitted leftist parties were having a conflict of opinion with the joint opposition which has been opposing LTTE detainees being given bail.

However, we are of the same stance against imperialism, he said.

The DLF leader also said he was happy that the TNA has abandoned its demand for a separate state, but said there was a question as to whether they were prepared to lay the foundation for national unity.

Tissa Vitarana, Raja Kollure and Chandrasiri Gajadheera also participated.

What Mahinda did was not wrong – Wijedasa

The remark by ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa that it was a threat to national security that 39 prisoners had been released by the government shows he still wants to go on his political journey relying on the Sinhala Buddhist patriotic mindset, say political analysts.

It is not wrong to release them or prosecute them if there are charges against them, but Rajapaksa is showing his dirty politics by uttering the remark for petty political gains, without first admitting that he too, had freed prisoners.

Justice minister Wijedasa Rajapakse told the media recently that during the Rajapaksa regime, 530 Tamil prisoners were freed and 12,000 LTTE fighters were rehabilitated and released.

Even persons suspected of having tried to kill the ex-president were released without any legal action, he said, adding that he did not see the release of detainees by the previous regime as a wrong.

He said 204 detainees were being held under the PTA, out of which 56 have been found guilty to charges and court hearings were ongoing against 124 others while investigations were underway into 24 others.