Despite distorted views all will ensure Mahinda's victory - DM

by L. B. Wijayasiri in Kandy

The UNP and their media allies were trying to give an exaggerated and distorted view to the people on the alleged differences of opinion within the SLFP.

Yet, all in the party from the leadership to the rank and file were committed to make a united effort to ensure the victory of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse at the Presidential Elections, said Posts and Telecommunication and Udarata Development Minister D. M. Jayaratne.

He was speaking at a joint meeting of political parties, trade unions and social organisations held at the Kandy Postal Department Auditorium to discuss ways and means of organising the election campaign of Prime Minister Rajapakse.

Minister Jayaratne added that unlike the UNP which was a dictatorial organisation, the SLFP being a party which upheld and practised democratic policies and principles, differences of opinion within it could not be avoided. But those differences were of a very mild nature and got resolved in a democratic way.

However, it was very unfortunate that some sections of the private media were trying to give distorted interpretations to such negligible problems.

The Minister said, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse was a member of a leading SLFP family and he had the common touch.

He knew the problems faced by ordinary people and he was a son of a farmer family who could feel the requirements of the people. Apart from all that he was a father who has brought up children.

It was fathers like him who knew the feelings of the people. Minister Jayaratne said, Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe had given leadership to 12 unsuccessful elections. This time he was leading the 13th election. 13 was a bad number. However he would go to the world record books as having lost 13 elections.

A large number of UNPers who had been disgusted with the UNP leadership have pledged their support to Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse. Apart from that a large number of political parties and groups, patriotic organisations had joined hands with Mahinda Rajapakse so that he was facing the election as a national leader. The UNP had been isolated but had the goodwill of the LTTE, he said.

The Minister said, private media institutions in the country were owned by capitalists of whom some were close relations of Ranil Wickremesinghe. They would do anything to deceive the masses to see the victory of the UNP's Ranil Wickremesinghe.

JVP propaganda secretary and MP Wimal Weerawansa, Minister of Livestock Development and Plantation Infrastructure Development C. B. Ratnayake, Deputy Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs Sripathi Suriyarachchi, Raja Uswetakeiyawa also spoke.