UPFA certain two thirds majority

Dulshani GUNAWARDENA and Priyanka KURUGALA

All political parties could not form stable and strong governments from 1994 as they could not get an adequate majority in Parliament. The UPFA will get a two thirds majority at the April 8 General election, Environment and Natural Resources Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said yesterday.

Addressing a press conference at the Library Services Board auditorium, Colombo, he said the country has to face four challenges after the defeat of terrorism.

One was a survey by an LTTE activist abroad, V. Rudrakumaran to seek the support of the Tamil diaspora in Europe to set up an international Tamil Eelam State, the Minister said.

“We have to introduce amendments to the Constitution to devolve power to grass-roots level. We have to build the five great powers - marine, air, energy, knowledge and IT and also achieve sustainable development and a green economy. In the coming years we have to learn to live with lessening natural resources,” he said.

Ranawaka said after the next 60 years we will have to get used to producing more renewal energy sources for our power needs. More plant and animal species are lost to the world due to five natural disasters. The world is now facing its sixth major disaster created by man by the misuse of natural resources. Man himself may disappear from the planet if such trends are not arrested, he said.

The Minister said he had requested candidates at the April 8 General election not to use polythene or plastics for propaganda as these were harmful to the environment.

If candidates wished to use material for election propaganda they should recycle them according to the methods recommended by the Central Environment Authority, he said.