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| Saturday, 6 March 2004 |
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Politics | |
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| UNF Cabinet Ministers sold state property to their kith and kin - Minister D.M. Jayaratne Nawalapitiya group corr. D.M. Jayaratne, Minister of Posts said that many a number of Untied National Front Cabinet Ministers have sold state property to their own kith and kin. Minister Jayaratne said so addressing an election propaganda rally held at Silva's land Rambukpitiya in the Nawalapitiya electorate. The meeting was held in support of the Freedom Alliance candidate Mahindananda Aluthgamage, former MP for Kandy district. Continuing the Minister added that a good number of ministers had taken steps to sell most profitable state corporations like the Insurance Corporation, C.W.E., Petroleum Corporation and many more to the private sector. They also wanted to sell the water resources, some sections of the Port Authority, Railway property and so on. Day by day the cost of living went up. Poor people had no way of living. Finance Minister Choksy was always talking of VAT. Long ago there were great leaders like D.S. Senanayake, Dudley, John Kotalawala in the UNP. But today's leaders are selfish. They never think of the country. Poor people find it difficult to keep their heads above water because the things are costly, educated class is suffering from lack of employment. As a result of pruning the fertilizer subsidy the paddy crop has come down by 40 per cent. Because of all these factors the President dissolved Parliament before time. We are sure of winning 120 seats at the forthcoming general election. We, very strongly believe that four MPs from the North will support the Alliance while the Muslim community in the East is with us. Parliamentarians from the estate sector too will be with us. In the meantime hundreds of UNPers cross over to our Party. It is the President who is responsible for the defence of the country. She is bound to protect it. During the past twenty one months the UNP discussed with the LTTE. Though there was no war in the island, the large sum of money spent on the war was missing. 25 to 35 ministers went on foreign tours. They came to power promising to increase the "Samurdhi", give Rs. 2,500/- for unemployed educated youth monthly, reduce the cost of living etc. But now the general public knows all those were false promises. Had the President not taken proper steps at the proper time the LTTE would have captured many more bunkers in addition to already erected 14 bunkers. During the past two years the terrorists have brought six shiploads of arms. They also have increased their cadres from 3,000 to 18,000. Mahindananda Aluthgamage said that government servants in every department, even the administrators, Board employees stood against the government. when they all started launching protest campaigns against various govt. decisions, the Premier was helpless. As such the Freedom Alliance requested the general public to rally round the Alliance to form a very strong, violence free, corruption free new govt. |
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