UPFA marching forward with People's approbation

Lakshmi de Silva

People of the country have accepted the leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the recent election was one of the most peaceful elections in the history unlike the corrupt elections held during the UNP regime held in the past, Local Government and Provincial Councils Minister Janaka Bandara Thennakoon said yesterday.

The worst cases of ballot rigging and impersonating were seen during the UNP regime like Presidential candidate Hector Kobbekaduwa's and Pieter Khenueman's votes cast by impostors and the infamous District Development Council vote in Jaffna when ballot boxes were found stuffed at the Subash Hotel and some ballot boxes went missing, he said.

The Southern Provincial Council election will be another victory for the President's leadership and even strong UNP members in the south have rallied round the President rejecting the leadership of the UNP and this time the southern voters will give an over eighty percent mandate for the UPFA he said.

Even in Matale District strong UNPers have joined the UPFA, while UNP parliamentarian Dayasiri Jayasekera has quitted the executive committee of the UNP. Even if their leader quits his post there is no leader who can lead the party.

Even if they change the symbol the party cannot be revived, he noted.