‘Govt ready for polls at any time’

* ‘UNP, JVP oppose conducting of elections’

* ‘People have implicit faith in government’

Nadira GUNATILLEKE

The government is ready to face an election at any time, Acting Media Minister and Acting Cabinet Spokesman Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena said.

“One of the key components of democracy is holding elections in a country on or before the due date. Any delay in conducting elections at relevant times is a violation of the people’s democratic right to elect their representatives. Therefore, it is surprising that the UNP and the JVP oppose conducting elections, even before the government takes any measures to conduct an election,” he said.

Addressing the weekly Cabinet press briefing at the Government Information Department Auditorium yesterday, Acting Minister Yapa said people all over the world get an opportunity to keep their representatives or reject them through elections and any delay of elections leads to protests. “Oppositions around the world demand elections. in Sri Lanka the main Opposition UNP opposes elections even before the date of an election is announced.

In other countries political parties go to courts demanding that elections be held. The situation is different here..

“The UNP now says the people are fed up with the UPFA government and are waiting for a chance to change the government. This means that the Opposition can win any election. But when there is a possibility of giving that chance to the people the same Opposition opposes it. It clearly shows how much the Opposition is scared of elections and how much they fear to lose their existing seats. All that the Opposition wants is to keep their existing seats without going for an election as long as possible. But the Sri Lankan public has strengthened the UPFA government by voting the government to victory at every election during the past 15 years,” the minister said. “Therefore the people have implicit faith in the UPFA government and the UPFA government has faith in the people,” the Acting Minister said.

“Sri Lankan people are intelligent enough to understand the problems and existing economic crisis in other countries,such as, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Egypt etc. Therefore, nobody can mislead them. A country cannot be defeated as long as the people stand by the government. All previous regimes conducted elections before their due dates. There is nothing new in it. The Opposition and certain sections of the media spread various ‘opinions’ in the country, but, it is worth ensuring the people’s democratic right to elect their representatives even at the expense of the government. The President can hold all Provincial Council elections at once only if all Chief Ministers and Governors agree to do it. “ Minister Abeywardena said.

“Elections in the North are to be conducted once landmines are completely cleared and the administration is completely re-established.

The Northern Province was badly affected by terrorism and the damage done by terrorists was immense, unlike the Eastern Province,. The province needs serious rehabilitation in all sectors which takes time. But, the government has set a record by completing resettlement and rehabilitation within a very short period when compared to other countries which faced similar situations. Over 90 percent of rehabilitation and rebuilding work in all sectors of the Northern Province has already been completed. Sri Lanka will address all human rights issues, reconciliation etc, but, it will be according to a local agenda and home grown strategy,” he said.