Constitutional provisions to devolve power will be introduced - Ranil

by L. B. Wijayasiri in Kandy

UNP's Presidential candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe, said once elected to the Presidency he would introduce Constitutional provisions to devolve power within a united country with the view to solve the North-East problem and bring about peace.

Opposition and UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe revealed this at a UNP Presidential election campaign rally held at Hanguranketha town, recently.

"Defeat for separatism is a victory for Ranil. Creating one country instead of division of the country would be a victory for Ranil as well," added Ranil Wickremesinghe. He accepted the position that he could not give bread to the people at Rs. 3.50 a pound nor could fertiliser be given at Rs. 350 per bag.

He was asking for the people's votes to do only what he could do.

His intention was to remove obstructions for talented youth to march ahead and provide opportunities for them to secure best jobs, be it in the village or be it in the plantation sector where they lived.

It was former Minister S. B. Dissanayake who proposed his (Ranil's) name to be the Party's Presidential candidate. It was approved at the next UNP sessions, but in two day's time S. B. Dissanayake was sent to jail as a political prisoner. "My first official task after swearing- in as the President will be to release SB from jail. SB's Parliamentary seat is still valid and after his release he would get the opportunity to do politics again," he added.

Ranil Wickremesinghe added that he was asking for the people's votes on the basis that he was a Sri Lankan, not as a Sinhalese or Buddhist only. He was seeking for votes from all those people of all ethnic and religious groups and upcountry and low country provinces without any division or discrimination. The first thing he was doing to unite the country was asking for votes on the basis that he was a Sri Lankan.

When he became the Prime Minister in 2001 the farmers did not have the opportunity to sell their produce at a reasonable price. He took immediate steps to pay a guaranteed price of Rs. 15 per kilo of paddy.

There was a six hour power cut per day. He restored power supply. He stopped the war and took steps to bring about peace. He worked for 2 years with a target.

All the government sector institutions would be directed to open up more avenues for jobs for unemployed youth and the private sector would be directed to follow them. Local and foreign investments would be streamlined to create jobs, he said.

CWC leader Arumugam Thondaman, Nuwara Eliya District MP Navin Dissanayake, Prof. G. L. Peiris, Thamara Dissanayake, Provincial Councillor Renuka Herath, also spoke.