Prez Poll victory - A mandate for general elections: MR

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) and Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday requested the people to give a mandate at the presidential election for a general election without delay.

He said this at yesterday's launch of the SLPP presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa's election manifesto at the Nelum Pokuna Theatre in Colombo yesterday.

“At the presidential election, as mentioned in the manifesto, we ask for a mandate from the people to hold a general election without delay. Therefore, an election victory for us will be considered as a mandate to hold a general election soon after,” Mr. Rajapaksa said.

He said a mega economic relief package would be given to the people prior to the National New Year in April 2020 and assured to establish a country where people can live without fear.

“The opponents want to create a country where people would not get any shut-eye. We, on the other hand, will make a country in which people can sleep safe and sound without any fear,” Mr. Rajapaksa said.

Commenting on the issues of minority communities, he said the opponents have always misled, deceived and manipulated Muslim and Tamil communities only to secure their votes.

“We have maintained friendly relations with them by always speaking the truth and nothing but the truth,” Mr. Rajapaksa said.

He assured that Gotabaya Rajapaksa's election manifesto was devoid of secret agendas, deals or foreign influence or agreements.

“Our policies and principles are the same as ourselves; they are intertwined. The most precious relationship we have is the bond with our people. People already know us and our policies. We walk the talk. Unlike our opponents, we won’t ask for oxygen from the people but instead will make sure that we can give oxygen back to them,” he said.

“Unlike others, we don’t give security sector posts to someone simply because they are tall and labour posts just because someone is short,” Mr. Rajapaksa said. (Lahiru Pothmulla)