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Never before, have we felt, we do today, the need for a strong and stable government for our country. Indeed, all communities in this land have, earnestly and unanimously, expressed this feeling.

The time has come to shed narrow and futile bickering, and commit ourselves steadfastly to usher in this new government.

It is extremely important that this nation, fractured by race, religion, region and petty political ideologies, come together in unity to re-create a prosperous nation, a stable government and a proud Sri Lankan identity.

To take on this onerous task, a new leadership is emerging: a leadership that we all can trust absolutely. A strong United National Front - a great historic need that embodies the hopes and aspirations of a vast majority of people sharing this land.

The darkest seven years have now ended, throwing before us the gruelling challenge of rebuilding this nation from scratch. This nation has been bewildered and confused by lies and deception and thrown into the abyss of frustration and hopelessness.

Now we, the United National Front, pledge ourselves to salvage this nation: to provide an efficient and accountable government that has a vision, and is totally free of corruption.

On the other hand, the country is on the brink of a devastating famine. Providing milk powder for the children and finding the three meals are perennial problems. Ironically, the government continues to import kankun, tomatoes, potatoes, onions, kurakkan and maize.

In the open market, a bottle of water fetches thirty rupees, while a bottle of fresh milk is sold at only fifteen rupees. Chicken and eggs are being imported. Thousands of families, who have earned their living through animal husbandry, have been reduced to utter poverty. Small and medium local industries are vying to close down. Workers are thrown out of jobs. Tourism has suffered a death blow. Foreign investments are stagnating. Garment manufacturers are abandoning the country. The Coconut oil industry has been throttled by imported Palm Oil. Tea, coconut and rubber industries are on the verge of collapse. Rice imports continue even during the local harvest season. Farmers commit suicide.

Mismanagement of the power sector has plunged the country into darkness: the nation is at the mercy of rain. Violence has become an integral part of society. Law and order has vanished. Plunder, robbery, rape, mass murder are the order of the day.

Instead of finding solutions to this malaise, Chandrika's regime continues to defend itself with more lies and more deception. She uses the crisis in the North and the East as her prime scapegoat. Decimating democracy, her regime has denied the right to dissent. The whole nation has been plunged into a state of hopelessness.

Under these tragic circumstances, the challenge is to rescue this country from total annihilation.

The United National Front offers you programmes and policies for a new economic future. We have a clear plan of action, to implement all the proposals and policies, we present to you. It is a people-oriented developmental plan. It is a development plan in which everybody can participate, which everybody can question and to which everybody can offer suggestions.

Let us join hands for Peace and a new economic future.

Benefits of Economic Development for All

* We will build a system that will ensure short-term and long-term income generation at every level.

Development Plan for Every Poor Family

* The "Samurdhi Programme" will be depoliticized, strengthened and guided forward under A Family Development Plan designed for every poor family.

Plenty of Job Opportunities for Sri Lanka

* We will immediately launch a massive Development Programme, to create enough jobs in the short-term, using the tried and tested economic management capabilities of the UNP.

* We will increase local production, expand export-trade, enter the world market and encourage competitive enterprises under this accelerated economic development programme.

* To succeed in this massive economic operation, we will seek the advice of experts here and abroad. A Council consisting of relevant ministers, members of the opposition and leaders of the business community, will be formed.

* Economic development, especially industrialization and employment-generation, will not be restricted to Colombo. Instead, the country will be divided into five Economic Zones to promote development in every part of the country.

* To promote trade, industry, tourism and agricultural projects in these five zones, we will establish five Zonal Economic Development Commissions. These five commissions will also attract foreign investment.

* We will promote Computer and Information Technology, a dominant industry in the 21st century, to the status of a primary factor in the Economy to generate hundreds of thousands of jobs.

* We will obtain the partnership of foreign companies to set up industries in Sri Lanka, with the aim of generating enough new job opportunities, just as in 1977.

* Private sector and public sector investment will be encouraged to provide large-scale infrastructure facilities such as roads, buildings and water supply schemes.

* The export of industrial and agricultural products will be accelerated by making Sri Lanka, the air and naval focal print in the Indian Ocean. Air, sea and land route systems will be expanded to minimize the time wasted in travelling. Steps will be taken to improve the Trincomalee harbour, to commission Hambantota Port, and to establish two International Airports in the Southern and Northern Provinces.

* At present, the low income earning, the low spending tourists arriving in Sri Lanka are the mainstay of the tourist industry. We intend to launch an effective programme in association with the private sector to attract the high income earning, high spending tourists. This will increase tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka up to one million annually.

* The garment industry will be further upgraded to meet the competition in the global market by identifying the emerging challenges and trends.

* A new Developmental Bank will be established to provide the capital needed by local entrepreneurship to initiate job generating enterprises in industries, tourism and computer technology.

* Communication is an essential tool for rapid development. We will extend mobile and ordinary telephone services to each and every village. This will enable us to mobilize our youth in the mainstream of national development.

* An Economic Zone has been demarcated for us in the Indian Ocean by the International Law of the Sea Commission. It is our intention to convert this Ocean Zone into a true economic asset. Measures will be taken to enhance the subsistence fishing to the scale of commercial fishing by providing the necessary capital, technology and know-how. Through the ocean-economy, not only the fisher-folk, but also a vast community outside that group will acquire income generating opportunities.

* We will generate new employment opportunities by introducing new technology to agriculture. Farming will also be expanded through new process such as the Green House Technique, pipeline systems and improved animal husbandry.

* We will find adequate markets and ensure satisfactory prices for agricultural products, while systematically reducing the import of animal fodder and other food that can be easily produced here.

* We will revive urgently the animal husbandry sector, which is totally destroyed at present. The quality control process of milk, eggs and meat will be improved, along with markets and reasonable price structures. The export-oriented animal and fish cultivation industry will be strengthened.

* The transport sector will be made more efficient and systematic through state and private sector investments. This will also provide additional jobs.

* We will re-establish an environment conducive to the advancement of small and medium businesses.

* We will promote reforestation as well as the protection of water resources: this will create more jobs.

* The public and private sectors will work together to create an economic system, which will absorb as many young graduates as possible.

Improving Benefits of Foreign Employment

* We will open the doors to more profitable foreign employment. We will set up an institution to provide language and other skills and special training essential for foreign employment. This will double the present annual foreign exchange earning of Rupees 8000 million.

Women's Rights

* We will enact laws relating to the Women's Charter, to safeguard women's rights.

* We will ensure that women's particular requirements and gender-specific concerns are recognized and prioritized in the formulation of state policies.

Youth Development

* We will introduce a Graduate Employment Assistance Programme for unemployed graduates.

* We will establish a "Youth Corps" for young men and women who are unemployed. They will be provided a monthly living allowance of Rs. 2000 along with training in English language, computer and vocational skills. After 18 months, they will be given a finance voucher for further technical training or higher education.

* We will open the doors for new knowledge and information technology for our young rural men and women. A cyber-kiosk linked to the Internet will be established in each of the Grama Sevaka Niladhari Divisions.

Uninterrupted Power Supply

* We will establish a National Energy Council with the help of independent professionals and experts. This council will formulate a short-term and long-term energy policy. The electricity supply that depends on vagaries of rain and drought will stop, ensuring a reliable and uninterrupted supply of power.

* We will take steps to utilize coal, natural gas, solar power and small-scale hydropower units to generate electricity and energy in collaboration with the state and the private sector.

The Peace Process

Our prime objective is peace. We stand for peace and peace alone. All these years, our opponents have ruthlessly and viciously misinterpreted our proposals to solve the national issue. We will end the war and build national unity. We will bring about a political solution acceptable to all those who are party to the crisis, within the framework of an undivided Sri Lanka. We will initiate this process with a warm heart and a cool head.

Today, in the context of increasing international anti-terrorist sentiments, we will create the atmosphere that will enable the conflicting parties to opt for peace.

War can be ended by a negotiated political solution. Each time we presented our solutions, Chandrika not only misinterpreted our initiatives but also misled the people. However, when it suited her, she negotiated with the LTTE through the mediation of Norway. As a prerequisite to end this conflict, we proposed setting up interim councils in the north and east for a two-year period. This came under relentless attack by Chandrika Kumaratunga.

Ironically, later on, as a part of her constitutional reform process, Chandrika Kumaratunga proposed the introduction of a 10-year interim rule to the Northern and Eastern Provinces. This is Chandrika's duplicity. This has brought about disastrous consequences. Our solution was correct and we presented it in all sincerity.

* Once we come to power, we will initiate a dialogue with all political parties, the clergy and civil society organizations, in order to arrive at a broad-based political solution, acceptable to all. We will also involve the LTTE in this process.

* We will not introduce constitutional reforms until we have arrived at a political solution acceptable to the majority of all communities.

* An interim administration will be set up for the northern and eastern provinces.

* We will appoint an independent commission to solve the problems of people who have been displaced and rendered helpless by war.

This sensitive issue should be adequately discussed by all sections of civil society. We are aware of the acute suffering undergone by the people of the North and East on a daily basis, owing to the lack of food, medicine, and other essentials. We also understand the strain that legitimate travellers have to undergo when visiting their loved ones. Once elected, we will take immediate steps to make life easier for them.

In our search for solutions to all these problems, we will work in close collaboration with all the parties and community leaders.

Armed Forces

* We will eradicate politicization within the armed forces.

* We will have modern and professionalised armed forces reflecting the ethnic mix of our country.

* The management and administration of the armed forces will be entrusted to senior professional officers.

Our Agenda to Re-affirm Democracy

* Once elected, we will end the autocratic executive power and empower the Parliament with checks and balances. In consultation with all parties, we will introduce an administrative structure that will preserve democracy in this country.

* We will encourage an effective provincial development programme, under the powers vested in the provincial councils and local government bodies. In the process of deciding, planning and implementing such schemes, we will open the door for a broadbased participation at all stages.

* The UNP, in consultation with all parties, will propose the following constitutional reforms:

* We will formulate a constitutional structure that will uphold the sovereignty of the people and the supremacy of Parliament.

* We will reduce the term of Parliament to five years.

* We will establish an Independent Police Commission, Independent Public Service Commission and an Independent Election Commission in terms of the 17th Amendment.

* An Independent Constitutional Council will also be set up to make key appointments in the administrative service.

* The Supreme Court will be vested with the responsibility of determining the constitutionality of new laws and regulations.

* The Parliament Consultative Committees will be empowered to review the activities of ministers. Opposition members will have equal responsibilities on these committees.

* We will reinforce the fundamental rights of the people.

Please go to the polling booth early on the 5th of December 2001.

And vote the UNP to power to ensure a great future for you. 

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Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
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