Vote UPFA and reap the benefits, says Maithripala

Uditha Kumarasinghe

COLOMBO: The United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) yesterday urged voters to return the UPFA into power at the local government elections and vest the local bodies too in the hands of the Government for better channelling of resources for the benefit of the people both in the urban and rural areas.

"The UNP is split into several parts. In this situation,it will be useless to vote for a weak political party like the UNP and hand them power of the Local bodies," SLFP General Secretary Minister Maithripala Sirisena told a media briefing at the SLFP headquarters yesterday.

He said with the division of the UNP into several factions, a large number of UNPers are rallying round President Mahinda Rajapakse.

Several pledges in the Mahinda Chintanaya has already been fulfilled such as the provision of the fertiliser subsidy, Samurdhi subsidy and resumption of peace talks.

The Minister said to further carry out these programmes in a more efficient manner, the UPFA should be given powers of the Local Government institutions as well.

"Therefore we request the people to vest the administration of these Local bodies in the UPFA." "At present the CWC and the SLMC have also pledged their support to President Rajapakse and his Government.

The CWC is going to contest in the Central Province under the betel leaf symbol," the Minister observed.

Sirisena said the public should not consider the vote they cast in this Local Government election as of no consequence.

"This is because these Local Government bodies play a more responsible role in the country's rural development.

All political parties should stop their campaign on March 27 midnight.

The Government's intention is to conduct a free and fair election. The President has instructed all UPFA candidates and party organisers to act in a responsible and disciplinary manner and cultivate friendship with other political parties in their campaign," he said.

"The party will not hesitate to take disciplinary and legal action against any UPFA candidate responsible for violence," he said.

After the Local Government polls, the Presidential Secretariat will take steps to set up a "Jana Sabha" at each Grama Niladari level targeting benefits enunciated in the Mahinda Chintana to village level.

Responding to a question that the majority of State employees have decided not to cast their vote, Sirisena said the country's State sector employees have obtained more benefits only under Leftist Governments.

Following the incidents such as the 1980 strike, the working class harbour a negative attitude towards the UNP given its disreputable past.

He requested all Government employees to place their confidence in the UPFA Government since the President has promised them every possible benefit.