More to strengthen President’s hands

Suraj A Bandara

Two more UNP candidates contesting for the Weligama Pradeshiya Sabha joined the UPFA yesterday to strengthen the hands of President Mahinda Rajapaksa to steer the country towards development.

Weligama Pradeshiya Sabha UNP candidates R B Jayantha Kumara and R P Manoj Tharanga met President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees and pledged their support to the UPFA. Minister Dullas Alahapperuma and Minister Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena are also in the picture. Picture by Chandana Perera.

Twenty one UNP Pradeshiya Sabha candidates including two from Weligama have given up their UNP candidature and joined the UPFA.

R D Jayantha Kumara and R P Manoj Tharanga who were to contest on the preferential vote number 19 and 20 under the UNP ticket pledged their support to President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Government at the Temple Trees yesterday.

They said that the UNP is no longer a party of the people. The strife between Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and Hambantota District Parliamentarian Sajith Premadasa has resulted in a split in the party and the UNP will go from bad to worse under these circumstances.

They said as politicians they have no room to serve the public by being UNPers anymore and took this decision to fulfill the duty of serving the motherland and support President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s endevour to develop the country. Ministers Dullas Alahapperuma and Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena also attended the event.