SLFP will emerge victorious at LG polls -Minister

Nethali Struys

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party will easily emerge victorious at the upcoming Local Government Elections, SLFP General Secretory Minister Maithripala Sirisena said at a media briefing at the Mahaweli Centre yesterday.

He said various allegations are being made by the Opposition. The UNP talks of victory by pinpointing alleged Government shortcomings.

The Minister pointed out that although the Opposition Leader said that a surplus of paddy harvests was achieved during their Government, it is a baseless comment. The Minister pointed out that during the UNP Government farmers were ill-treated and farming was abandoned. It is revealed that the consumption of wheat flour went up to 900,000 metric tons during that period. Only now that it had been reduce by 40 percent since this Government encourage paddy production.

He further said that the Government has nothing to do with the postponing of election in some parts of the country. He said that it is a decision by the Elections Commissioner and the Judiciary. The Government has nothing to do with it.

Higher Education Minister S B Dissanayake said that during the time of the UNP Government its Prime Minister did not meet even a single Provincial or Urban Council member for a single day. But President Mahinda Rajapaksa meets Provincial and Urban Council members once a month regarding regional development. He pointed out that each member receives Rs one million to use it to develop their areas.

He pointed out that this Government provided jobs for 40,000 graduates while the UNP Government failed to provide even a single job for the two and half years it was in power.

Fisheries and Resources Minister Dr Rajitha Senaratne pointed out that this Government developed the country while defeating terrorism and by now it had started many mega development programs such as harbours, airports, thermal power plants, highways etc.