UPFA will secure minimum of 143 seats - SLFP Secretary

by Shirajiv SIRIMANE

The United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) will secure a minimum of 143 seats said the SLFP Secretary Susil Premjayanth.

Speaking to Sunday Observer he said that repolling of the Nawalapitiya and Trincomalee electorates is likely to be held on April 20 and with those results and the National list slots the government would secure a minimum of 143 slots. (The elections department suspended releasing results for 16 seats after it annulled votes from 38 voting stations in two districts and called for a revote.)

He said that this would be the highest number ever secured by a political party under the Proportional Representation System. "We must thank the voters for having faith in the government and giving us a mandate for a further five years," he said.

He also said that this is the first time that the ruling party managed to have their representatives in all the districts including the North East.

Q: How do you review the election results?

A: This is something we were bargaining for. UPFA had received 4.7 million votes, or 60.43 percent of Thursday's ballots. The United National Party (UNP), the main Opposition party, had 2.3 million votes, or 29.43 percent. The Government had kept its promises especially with regard to economic development and most importantly ending the war leading to a humanitarian battle.

Q: Leading Ministers have lost their seats while newcomers have ended top in the list?

A: This is something the Government wanted to happen. The ruling party needed new blood and new ideas and people have accepted the new faces giving them rousing majorities. As far as the ousted Ministers are concerned people have rejected them for various reasons.

Q: How has the North East population taken the election?

A: Here again we have gained a major victory as we have secured three seats from Jaffna, four from Ampara, two each from Vanni and Trincomalee and one from Batticaloa. People in these areas were brainwashed by the LTTE and now they are thinking freely and understating the reality. They know that this government is their saviour and not the enemy as projected by the LTTE.The mindset of the people living in these areas will change even further when more economic benefits come their way due to focused development we have planned for them.

Q: The Government wanted a two thirds majority. What would happen now?

A: We wanted a two thirds majority to change the constitution and change this preferential system which is creating problems for every party. There is an interim report on this issue and a select committee too is looking at it. As all parties want to change the constitution it could be done now.

We never wanted a two thirds majority to run the country. We even won the war without a two thirds majority. The Government will deliver its promises with or without the two thirds majority.

Q: How is the Cabinet going to be formulated?

A: We are working on this. But it is too premature to comment.

Q: How do you review the low voter turn out?

A: The people have rejected the changing symbols and politics of both the UNP and the JVP. They take one symbol at one election and the next month decide to go separate ways.

People don't like this and it is those voters that did not go to vote. The UPFA supporters went to vote and this is why our voter base is intact.

I think there was a decline of voting from the floating voters as well.

Q: How do you see the future?

A: The Government's aim is to make Sri Lanka the wonder of Asia. The path to achieve this goal is Mahinda Chinthana. As we promised at the last General Election the UPFA would keep its promises and create an even better nation tomorrow.