“The challenges that President Mahinda Rajapaksa faces come from the external forces and not from internal ones. A few powerful countries in the West are determined to punish the Sri Lankan President for eradicating LTTE terrorism despite the pressure applied by them to halt the fighting in the final episode of the battle,” said Minister Susil Premajayantha, General Secretary of the United People’s Freedom Alliance.
Addressing a meeting held on October 2, in support of the UPFA candidates contesting the October 8 Kotte Municipal Council polls, he said all UPFA candidates contesting the Kotte Municipal Council election worked hard with commitment and dedication to carry the message of the party to the voters. The predictions were that the UPFA would win the Kotte Municipal election by a majority between 8,000 and 10,000 votes. The party too would win the Colombo Municipality in the same way.
Some Western powers, to please the LTTE rump and several pro-LTTE NGOs, were carrying on a worldwide campaign to spread anti-Sri Lankan propaganda calling for Sri Lankan leaders, both political and military, to be taken before an International Court for violating the Human Rights of the civilians then clustered in the Mullaitivu area by firing at them and killing indiscriminately. “We didn’t face challenges within the country. We are facing those external challenges successfully”.
He said, the challenge before the opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe was to defend his leadership in the party and to unite the several factions that have publicity expressed their opinion.
The UNP was carrying on a poster campaign slinging mud at the former rulers of the Kotte municipality. They say they had misappropriated Rs. 570 million from the Kotte Municipality. What was the total income of the Kotte Municipality? Only Rs. 570 million. Why did they wait for two years to reveal such a fraud? It was supposed to have occurred in 2009. If such a malpractice was going on in 2009, it was their duty to inform the relevant authorities and their own leader to bring the matter before the law. Did the Kotte Municipality have such an income to misappropriate such a colossal amount? he asked.
The Minister said that he had obtained Rs. 22 million from Minister Basil Rajapaksa as the Chairman of the Kotte Development Society and carpeted 23 roads. On the October 08, when voters go to their polling station, it could be possible for them to take those routes. Only a few roads were now left to be carpeted. That too would be done after obtaining the necessary finance from Minister Basil Rajapaksa.
The Minister queried, “Can the JVP or the UNP do such work. I am in the Colombo District Development Committee and in the Kotte Development Committee. Therefore, I am in a position to get financial allocations to complete the rest of the project”.
The Colombo fish market was shifted to Peliyagoda ending underworld activity and collection of ransoms. But the UNP mayoral candidate pledged to bring back the fish market to Colombo. Would the people vote for those who make such statements? The Minister also said, nearly 30,000 houses would be built for the shanty dwellers in the city for them to live with dignity in comfortable houses.