President tells UPFA candidates :

‘Work together to beautify Colombo’

All must work together to beautify the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC), said President Mahinda Rajapaksa addressing the 59 UPFA candidates contesting the CMC at Temple Trees yesterday.

President Rajapaksa added that things said to be impossible to achieve, have been achieved by the present government and that winning the elections in the Colombo Municipal Council is not a challenge.

”Past governments were unable to solve the garbage problem in Colombo. But today, we have been able to overcame this. Even though some people say that the government is planning to remove slum dwellers from the Colombo city, the government has no plans to remove these people from Colombo,” he said. “Instead, they will be settled in more comfortable houses with facilities as the slums will be removed for the beautification purpose,” President Rajapaksa said. President Rajapaksa added that slum dwellers have already been settled in such houses.

“Even though shops were removed from pavements, shopkeepers are provided with suitable locations to sell their items which is easier for them. Therefore, the public should not panic over such false rumours, the President stressed.

President Rajapaksa advised the UPFA candidates to carry out their election campaign in keeping with the laws. He advised them to go from door to door and make the voters aware.

Addressing the gathering Ministers Susil Premajayanth, Dullas Alahapperuma and A.H.M. Fowzie said that Milinda Moragoda has been nominated as the Colombo Municipal Council mayor and the UPFA mayor candidates have not been nominated for other Municipal Councils.

Mayoral nominee Milinda Moragoda addressing the gathering stressed the need for candidates to work in cooperation to ensure the victory of the Colombo Municipal Council.

Ex-UNP stalwarts Mohamed Maharoof, Azath Sally and ex-Mayor Ganeshalingam are contesting the elections under UPFA.

It is also significant that renowned singer Madumadhava Aravinda and four female candidates are contesting from the UPFA.

Several ministers, MPs electoral organizers and politicians attended the meeting.