Huge drop in UNP Muslim vote in Kandy

Chamikara WEERASINGHE

Environment Deputy Minister and former UNP MP Al-Haj A R M Abdul Cader yesterday said although the UNP won the Gampola Urban Council its vote base in the Kandy district has eroded drastically with nearly 7000 UNP Muslims voting with the ruling People’s Alliance.

As apparent from the composition Muslims in the district, votes that have come to the PA from Gampola UC limits is 2,000, Minister Cader said.

The electorate’s Muslims in Uda Palatha, who have been UNP supporters for so many years, turned out to cast their votes for the PA at the local election.

“Some 3,000 were cast for us,” he said.

“In all, in the Gampola electorate 5,000 Muslim votes were given to the People’s Alliance,” he said.

The candidates who contested with my support in Galagedera, got around 3700 votes for the party, which once belonged to the UNP, he said. The UNP has also lost 3,500 Muslim votes from Harispattuwa, which has always been a UNP stronghold, he said.

The people have voted for the party and the trust and confidence they have placed in President Mahinda Rajapaksa is absolute, he said.

The Muslim people in the Gampola electorate are always ready to take part in the Government’s programs,he said.

The Muslim people must not forget that they are able to carry out their businesses across the country without any fear because there is no terrorism anymore, because President Rajapaksa and this Government eliminated it which no other President could achieve for over three decades, he said.

“It is wrong to criticize this Government for mere political advantage after the hard work it has done to establish peace and harmony in the country,” he said.

He said, the actions of Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to criticize the Government the way he does whenever he goes abroad and meet politicians of Western countries or representatives of Human Rights Organizations, is disheartening.