I’ll focus on policies, not on my rivals: Sajith

UNP's presidential candidate Sajith Premadasa said today he would not conduct a campaign targeting his rivals but a campaign that was based on policies.

He told a news conference that he would not talk about his rivals and not about choosing people for positions but highlight the policies of a future government.

Mr. Premadasa said this when responding to a question asked by journalists as to why he had not named a prime minister like his SLPP opponent who had already named former president Mahinda Rajapaksa as its prime ministerial candidate.

He pledged to set up a presidential task force to carry out a national nutrition policy and to set up a state control network of Montessori Schools. “These schools will be run free of charge and is aimed at giving proper education to children under the age of five. A child’s brain best develops between the age of one and five,” Mr. Premadasa said.

He said he would set up another task force to help elders. “Special focus will be directed on elders because Sri Lanka's elderly population is growing rapidly. It is estimated that Sri Lanka's ageing population will be more than 20 per cent of the total population by 2050 from the current 12.4 per cent,” Mr. Premadasa said and added that two separate charters for women and youth would also be introduced. (Yohan Perera)