Will work for victory at general elections : Sajith

New Democratic Front (NDF) presidential candidate Sajith Premadasa said over the weekend that he is willing to dedicate himself for the victory of all UNP MPs and organisers at the next general elections.

Addressing a public meeting in Kekirawa on Saturday to thank all those who voted for him in the electorate, Mr Premadasa said he intends to double the amount of election rallies at the parliamentary elections. “We held around 150 rallies for the presidential election and I am willing to address around 300 rallies at the general elections,” he said.

Stating that he has been named as the new opposition leader by the party, he said the matter would be confirmed only on Friday, January 3, 2020, after the Speaker officially accepts him as the new leader of the opposition.

“I was referred to as the UNP Deputy Leader when I arrived here. However, I would like to tell you that I am not the Deputy Leader of the party anymore. I made a statement just after the presidential elections and resigned from the Deputy Leader’s post. I did that as I am duty-bound to do so after the electoral defeat,” he said.

“One must be ready to accept responsibility when a political party is defeated in an election,” Mr Premadasa added.

Also, he said the government should deliver the pledges it made during the election such as providing fertiliser free of charge to the paddy farmers. “Government cannot say it cannot deliver and use economic turmoil as an excuse now. We in the opposition are willing to provide support to the government in allocating funds to deliver electoral promises,” he said in this regard. (Yohan Perera)