Manaape to go
UPFA plans end to preferential voting:
Nadira Gunatilleke
This will be the final election in Sri Lanka to be held under the
preferential system, said Transport Minister Dullas Alahapperuma. All
voters,especially public sector employees who cast their postal vote on
March 25 and 26 should use all three preferential votes at the April 8
Parliamentary election. Persons who could not show their gratitude to
President Mahinda Rajapaksa on January 26 can use this opportunity to do
it, Minister Alahapperuma said.
Addressing the weekly United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) press
briefing at the Mahaweli Centre yesterday, he said the UPFA has already
conducted six main election rallies and 7,000 grassroot level meetings
and 3,000 polling station based meetings. The UPFA campaign is
proceeding without any challenge from the Opposition, the Minister said.
Govt thanks NAM |
Minister
Dullas Alahapperuma on behalf of the Government thanked NAM for
standing by Sri Lanka’s sovereignty and freedom. |
According to Minister Alahapperuma public sector workers who work in
cities do not fear for their lives because terrorism has been
eradicated. The UPFA has the sole right to request their vote because it
liberated them from fear and anxiety. It increased the number of public
sector employees up to 1.2 million. The Opposition leader who planned to
cut down the public sector by 50 percent and included it as the state
policy is shedding crocodile tears.
The Opposition should apologize for what they did to the public
sector employees. They are now trying to present themselves as saviors
he said.
Minister Alahapperuma pointed out that during the Presidential
Election, the UPFA revealed the secret pact that existed between the TNA
and the Presidential candidate but the UNP and the JVP condemned it.
This time the UPFA can prove it because merging the North and East is
included in TNA’s election manifesto. The UNP and the JVP are now silent
about it, he said.
The UNP is using desperate tactics to win votes, the Minister said.
The UNP using pictures of religious leaders in advertisements.
For the very first time in the world, a political party is using
pictures of religious leaders for an election campaign. No NGO or any
other person/organization has condemned this so far. It has already used
the pictures state of the Buddha and Jesus Christ. It will use Islamic
religious pictures next. This shows the pathetic situation of the
opposition, he said.
The UNP is promoting its popular myth again and that only it can
develop the country. They say only they can do business.
It is very difficult to eradicate a myth. All economic, social,
health and other Internationally recognized indicators clearly show
whether the UNP or the UPFA developed the country, he said.
All five reservoirs built by the UNP regime add only 660 megawatts of
electricity to the National Grid. Norochcholai and Kerawalapitiya add
1,200 megawatts to the National Grid. The UNP imported Kankun from
abroad and destroyed the keera business. Many farmers drank poison and
died during his time.
The opposition leader said no more irrigation projects will be
launched during his time and today he speaks about paddy because of the
work done by the UPFA. But he has to prove the changes of his policies
by practice, the minister said. |