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Voters reiterate confidence in UPFA

The Local Government polls concluded successfully on Thursday and as anticipated most people of the UPFA recorded a resounding victory in over 95 percent of the local bodies. The Sunday Observer sought the views of some of the key players in the election campaign and some coalition partners of the UPFA and other party leaders. Here is a cross section of views.


Sri Lanka Freedom Party General Secretary and Minister of Health Maithripala Sirisena

All elected representatives should work for the country’s progress. He said the time had come for all political parties to work in unity to ensure the prosperity of the country. The newly elected members must understand their responsibilities and work for the common good of the people, he stressed.

The results of the election focus our attention on key points. Not simply because we are a political party but also because of the love we have for this country and its people, we are taking election results into consideration when we plan for the future of the country, the minister said.

 


Minister of Power and Energy Patali Champika Ranawaka

This election was a good example to show that democracy prevails in the country.

We hold elections in time and we proved this when we held the presidential and parliamentary elections on the due dates. The Local Government election leaves no room for the Opposition political parties to cry foul with regard to elections, the minister said.

This election is similar to a referendum and goes to show that the majority of the public is with the government, the minister said.
 


Construction and Engineering Services Minister Wimal Weerawansa

The people have given a resounding mandate to the Government towards its attempts made to rebuild the country.

He said the election results clearly demonstrate that people have placed utmost confidence in President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Government.
Minister Weerawansa said all the predictions that he made before the election have come true. “ I also said the headlines to be carried in the newspapers after the election to read as the UPFA achieves a resounding victory and the JVP lost even Tissamaharama Pradeshiya Sabha.

According to the election results, the UNP and the JVP have faced a severe setback. The JVP has been able to obtain only two votes at Haputhale Pradeshiya Sabha. The JVP has come down to third place at Tissamaharama Pradeshiya Sabha. It has been clearly shown the JVP has no future under the present leadership and the party will be further ruined, he said.

The Government has achieved a resounding victory, and now it has the responsibility to safeguard the trust placed upon by the people on it, he said.


Co-operatives and Internal Trade Minister Johnston Fernando

People through the election results have given a strong signal to the entire world that they are fully with the Government.

The Opposition in its recent election campaign attempted to create an impression that they should vote for the JVP to shake the Government. But the people have completely done the opposite by further strengthening the Government. The people are well aware that this is a people, friendly Government, he said.

The Minister said the entire UPFA election campaign was conducted under the supervision of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Therefore the UPFA could successfully conduct its election campaign throughout the country.

According to the election results, the UNP and the JVP have been rejected. After the results, the JVP said it was the people who were defeated and not them. This is just another comment made by the JVP to cover up their humiliating defeat. The JVP has lost even Tissamaharama Pradeshiya Sabha.

The people have put a fullstop to the JVP, he said. If the UNP says the Government attempts to promote a dictatorship, the people have fully realised it is the UNP which has a dictatorship within the party.

The UNP’s dictatorship has been defeated by the resounding mandate to the people-friendly Government. The outcome of the election clearly shows, the UNPers have completely rejected both Ranil and Sajith, the Minister said. The Minister said that it was a very free and fair election.


Women’s Affairs and Child Development Minister Tissa Karaliyadda

The local government election victory of the UPFA would help to continue the massive development activities undertaken by the government.

He said the people have defeated the UNP as well as the JVP. The village population and the city talks reaffirmed their confidence in the Mahinda Rajapaksa government.

The minister said that the people who lived in fear over a period of 30 years are now living in peace without any fear because President Mahinda Rajapaksa wiped out terrorism in the country.
 


Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage

People in villages have given a resounding victory to the Government at the Local Government polls.

The people in villages are always with the Government and they have a lot of affection for President Mahinda Rajapaksa as a Leader who is very close to their heart. Therefore the people in villages have given a resounding victory to the Government.

The outcome of the election clearly indicates the people have extended their fullest cooperation to the President to turn Sri Lanka into the wonder of Asia like they extended their support to defeat terrorism, he said.

The Minister said the people through this election result have also given a very good response to those who have engaged in various conspiracies against the country. Because the people realised very well whatever comments were made by the UNP, they help the international community clandestinely to hatch various conspiracies against the country.

The people have also very well identified the true nature of the JVP as a group which attempts to destabilise the country through their false propaganda campaign. The dates for the Local Government bodies for which the elections were postponed will be announced shortly and the Government will definitely achieve a landslide victory at them as well.


Communist Party, Senior Minister DEW Gunasekera

Over twenty CP members who contested on the UPFA lists had been elected.

The people had endorsed the policies of Mahinda Rajapaksa government again. The government will have to look at the public servants and urban population, the minister said.


 


The Tamil National Alliance’s

Performance at the Local Government polls has strengthened the party further in meeting the political aspirations of the Tamils in the North and East, the Jaffna district Parliamentarian and the TNA spokesperson Suresh Premachandran said.

Commenting on the outcome of the LG polls Premachandran told the Sunday Observer that the TNA has won twelve local bodies and emerged as the party second in line winning more local bodies in the overall performance in the LG polls.

“TNA is happy to note that the people in the North and East have reiterated their confidence in the party. The TNA even emerged as a formidable political power in the Parliamentary polls. Wherever we campaigned we urged our voters to stand by us in winning the political aspirations of the Tamils.

Therefore the people in the North and East have responded in a big way in strengthening the TNA. The TNA’s performance also delivers the message to the political forces in the South that the political aspirations of the Tamils should be met as early as possible,” Premachandran said.


The SLMC General Secretary Hasan Ali

SLMC aligned with the UNP and contested in the previous polls.

But this time its coalition with the ruling UPFA has strengthened its overall performances in the LG polls.

The SLMC contested in certain areas on its own and in some areas the party contested in coalition with the UPFA, according to Hasan Ali.

 


Industries and Commerce Minister Rishard Bathiudeen

Tamil National Alliance’s (TNA) - interpretation on Thursday’s North - East election results is misleading.

TNA Suresh Premachandran has said that Tamil people in the North and East have voted for a political solution based on a Federal system, the Minister said. However the total votes obtained by UPFA and SLMC were more than what TNA has received in Mannar, Mulaitive and Vavuniya districts.


 


Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna - JVP, General Secretary Tilvin Silva

The people would realise before long the value of the JVP’s policies, which he said have always been on the right track.

If anyone thinks the JVP could be politically eliminated, he is mistaken. Nearly 200,000 people have voted for the JVP at this local government election, he said.

 

 

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