Biggest vote for Mahinda from Gampaha - Anura

FOREIGN Affairs and Tourism Minister Anura Bandaranaike yesterday said he would devote his maximum energies to ensure that Gampaha District delivers the highest votes of all districts towards the victory of Premier Mahinda Rajapakse.

Addressing an election rally in Mirigama in support of the candidature of Premier Rajapakse, Minister Bandaranaike noted that the SLFP was not a family inheritance of the Bandaranaikes but a party that was built upon the Pancha Maha Balvegaya by both the Bandaranaikes and the Rajapakses to serve the common man.

Bandaranaike recalled that President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga herself nominated Rajapakse as the Presidential candidate, which was unanimously endorsed by the Executive Committee. The President has extended her fullest support towards his victory.

"My father sacrificed his life for the party. My mother lost her civic rights while my sister sacrificed an eye," he said.

Minister Bandaranaike said they also forfeited all their family wealth through the Land Reforms Act introduced by themselves. "My mother sacrificed 5,000 acres, I gave away 2,000 acres.

We never regretted this loss. On the contrary, we derived great satisfaction by introducing such legislation where we ourselves had to sacrifice our wealth."

He said it was no secret among the people that such sacrifices were unique and all these sacrifices were made in line with SLFP policies on behalf of the common man.

Therefore they had the unique right to speak on behalf of the party and the people too accept this fact.

He said the UNP was a pawn of the LTTE. "On the other hand, we are determined to ensure the rights of all communities and bring peace. We will never isolate the Tamil community."

He warned the voters not to fall prey to the machinations of the UNP and rally round Rajapakse.