Basil Rajapaksa hails people for victory

by Dhaneshi YATAWARA

Senior Presidential Advisor, Parliamentarian Basil Rajapaksa who received the highest number of votes at Thursday’s election, thanked the people for making the landslide victory, a reality.

“Such a remarkable victory may never have been achieved in Sri Lanka’s political history and this may be the first of its kind in the world,” he told the Sunday Observer.

Polling over 425,000 votes, the highest number by any candidate at Thursday’s election, Rajapaksa hailed Sri Lankans for their decision. “This is a victory for Sri Lankans,” Rajapaksa said. Considering the overall election results at present Rajapaksa said that the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) would secure 141 seats - nine seats short to achieve the two-third majority. Gampaha, the district he leads, recorded the highest majority of 322,953 votes in the island. Basil Rajapaksa created history in Sri Lanka’s politics by conducting 1,002 campaign meetings covering 13 electorates in the Gampaha district.

Rajapaksa who led the Gampaha district conducted an exemplary election campaign successfully gaining the highest majority. “Campaigns have concluded and people have given their verdict and now it’s time to think clearly and plan a better future for people in the country,” Rajapaksa said.