Ministers Secretaries Union responds to Bandula Gunawardena

COLOMBO: The Ministers Secretaries Union in a rejoinder to a statement made by Colombo District UNP Parliamentarian Bandula Gunawardena that the Government had lost 43 local councils at the recent elections compared to the five councils lost by the UNP in 2002, said the 2002 local council elections was held in an environment where the UNP coerced the opposition by sending several SLFP Parliamentarians, Provincial Councillors, Local Council Candidates and other activists to jail on trumped up charges.

In this atmosphere most of the SLFP candidates had to sign their nominations papers from jail.

The statement signed by Union President Kumaradasa Giribawa and Secretary Ajith Jayasundera said this can be proved by examining statistics at the Bogambara, Negombo, Kegalle and other prisons in 2001 following the General Election that year.

On the contrary except for the battle for preferential votes the Government didn't try to use its influence at the recent local council elections.

The UNP supporters could also indulge in the Local Council election campaign freely because there was no political victimisation or acts of revenge on opponents after the recent Presidential Elections.

It should also be recalled that President Mahinda Rajapaksa who was then Opposition Leader visited all prisons after the 2001 General Elections and the 2002 Local Elections and took steps to obtain the release of SLFP supporters and activists jailed on false charges.