President tells UPFA Southern Provincial Councillors:
SP on fast track to progress
Rasika SOMARATHNA
President Mahinda Rajapaksa noted that the Southern Province as a
whole was on the fast track to development with mega projects and
infrastructure facilities being implemented.
He instructed the newly elected Councillors to support these
endeavours and fulfill the aspirations of the people in the area by
working as a team.
“Your responsibility and accountability is towards the people and the
Alliance. It is they who propelled you to victory and positions. To
fulfill their expect-ations\trust you should forget petty differences
and forge ahead with unity,” President Mahinda Rajapaksa told newly
elected Councillors after they took their oaths at the Presidential
Secretariat yesterday morning.
The President also emphasized the need to respect the people’s
verdict.
“If anybody is not satisfied then they can go to courts to find the
truth. In such a case the party is even prepared to foot a part of their
expenses,” the President added.
The President also said that he was well aware of the bitter battles
among candidates for the manape during the campaign trail.
“However, you should note that even the number of manape is decided
by the support that the Party\Alliance garners”.
“We have an independent Election Commissioner and other relevant
officials. They have no need to lift someone up or pull someone down”.
“In my 40 years experience in the electoral process I have never seen
any such malpractices. I am fully confident that State sector officials
would do no such thing intentionally”
“The manape war is now over. It is time to forget petty differences
and work in unison to develop the province as a whole irrespective of
your area or other affiliations” he added.
The President also noted that a major election was in the offing in
the near future and urged the members to work towards the party’s
victory.
Agriculture Development and Agrarian Services Development Minister
and General Secretary of the SLFP Maithripala Sirisena welcoming the new
councillors noted that the Southern polity through their unprecedented
2\3 verdict had demonstared their appreciation and had endorsed the path
taken by the Government.
He described the verdict as one which was given to Government to
realize national political aims.
The newly elected councillors of the Southern Province Provincial
Council took their oaths before President Mahinda Rajapaksa and in the
presence of Southern Governess Kumari Balasuriya at the Presidential
Secretariat time yesterday morning.
A large number of Cabinet Ministers, Parliamentarians, local and
provincial level politicians along with relatives and supporters of the
elected were present.
The Council is scheduled to commence sessions on November 5.
The UPFA won the Southern Provincial Council election with a
resounding two thirds majority at the October 10 Provincial Council
poll.
With the victory the UPFA won all provincial council elections in a
row starting from the Eastern province. Earlier, the UPFA won the
Eastern, North Central, Sabargamuwa, Western and Uva Provincial Councils
with 52.21, 56.37, 55.34, 64.73 and 72.39 percent respectively.
During the Southern elections UPFA swept the board winning all
electorates by comfortable margins. They obtained 38 (including two
bonus seats) seats out of 55 on offer.
The UPFA was also able to obtain a majority of 506,891 votes over
their closest rival UNP. The UPFA polled 804, 071 votes (67.88 percent),
while the UNP emerged a distant second obtaining 297,180 votes (25.09
percent), with 14 seats. The People’s Liberation Front (JVP), got just
72, 379 votes and three seats.
Shan Wijayalal De Silva SP Chief Minister
Former Chief Minister of Southern Province, Shan Wijayalal De Silva
took oaths before President Mahinda Rajapaksa as the new Chief Minister
of the Province yesterday.
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