Historic victory for UPFA predicted

Sandya KARUNASRATNE and Prarthana WEERASINGHE

The implementation of the policy framework prepared for the benefit and welfare of the people of Uva-Wellassa will ensure a historic victory for the Government at the forthcoming elections, said Agricultural Development and Agrarian Services Minister and SLFP General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena.

The UNP will not be able to pose any challenge to the UPFA at the Uva-Wellassa Provincial Council elections, he emphasised.

Addressing a press conference at the Mahaweli Centre, Colombo on Tuesday Minister Sirisena said that the UNP was planning to form a coalition with several other parties at the forthcoming elctions and added that elections could never be won through haphazard coalitions restricted to paper made by a few politicians, Sirisena said what the UNP should do now was to try and win over the confidence of this people and bring them back to the party fold rather than form coalitions with other parties. Coalitions would not be of any use unless the people stay with a party.

Sirisena who said that he could safely predict a convincing and historic victory for the UPFA at the forthcoming election added that people of all communities in Uva including those in the plantation sector were firmly supporting the SLFP led UPFA.

All elections held under the tenure of the Mahinda Rajapaksa Government had been peaceful. It will be the same at the Uva Provincial elections despite a small number of minor incidents reported which are negligible, he said.

Denying UNP allegations that the UPFA was resorting to thuggery and other forms of oppression and suppression to coerce and intimidate people Minister Sirisena said the UNP was making such wild allegations to cover up its inability to draw people to its election meetings.

Export Development and International Trade Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris said the Government had already completed a large number of service projects for the benefit of people in Uva-Wellassa. Among them were development of roads, provision of electricity, rehabilitation of hospitals, post offices and up grading of schools to develop the education sector.

Funds saved on Defence expenditure following the ending of the humanitarian war would also be invested for development activities. He said Uva and Wellassa had seen a major economic and social transformation under the tenure of the Rajapaksa Government.

The increased cess imposed on imported goods would boost local production in areas such as Uva. The Government has also planned to set up export agricultural villages to provide ready markets for the farmers’ produce.