No General Election before 2010 - Minister Maithripala Sirisena

Rohan MATHES

COLOMBO: Challenging the proposed ‘No Confidence’ Motion of the UNP, Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle reiterated the present Government will not fall.

Addressing the third ‘Mahajana’ rally at the Samanala Grounds in Galle, where a mammoth crowd including over 1,500 Buddhist monks also attended last Friday, Minister and SLFP Treasurer Jeyaraj Fernandopulle said: “The UNP is consistently stating that our Government would fall. We invite the UNP to bring the ‘No Confidence’ Motion so that we could teach them a bitter lesson. Our Government will not fall,” he said.

He charged that the UNP which was consistently alleging of Government frauds, should specifically name the so-called frauds with substantial evidence, without making baseless allegations. “The Government has not robbed,” he added.

SLFP General Secretary and Minister Maithripala Sirisena addressing the rally urged the JVP to refrain from being misled following the footsteps of the UNP.

Categorically ruling out an election prior to 2010, he said that the SLFP is very familiar with conspiracies and crossovers from its nascent stages, but has and will remain as strong as ever.

Lamenting over the escalating Cost of Living which Minister Sirisena stated the Government was well aware and highly concerned, he questioned whether the UNP was capable of bringing it down if they came into power.

Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva who also addressed the rally pointed out that the programme adopted by President Mahinda Rajapaksa had been the most successful ever to defeat terrorism and protect the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of the nation.

Despite all the odds faced in defeating terrorism, the Government has launched several mega development programmes never ever undertaken by any Government before, to provide enhanced infrastructural facilities vitally required for the country.

However, the UNP has adopted an agenda very similar to the LTTE and has sought to disrupt all these projects.

“They are trying to fish in troubled waters and grab power by hook or by crook,” he added.

“Throughout its history, the people of Galle have always flocked together to consolidate the SLFP and opposed all reactionary forces,” he said.

Minister A. H. M. Fowzie stated that oil exploration work will commence shortly and when the first batch of oil barrels are taken out in 2010, Sri Lanka would emerge as one of the most prosperous States in the region.

Minister Piyasena Gamage and former Gampaha District UNP Parliamentarian Olitha Premathiratna also spoke.