National Movement for Social Justice (NMSJ) Convener Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera said that the government, which is facing imminent defeat, is provoking racism as a political tool.

Speaking at a trade union convention to support common candidate Maithripala Sirisena, Sobitha Thera called upon the government to stop provoking tension among the Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim people.

He also said that the opposition was not fighting to make Maithripala Sirisena the executive president. The ultimate aim is the abolition of the executive presidency, he added, stressing that the executive presidency has been the major reason for the crisis the country is in.

Sobitha Thera also added that this is not a simple change but a revolution and said that the opposition discussed this revolutionary change with a multitude of sectors in the society.