Kurunegala district UPFA candidate Mahinda Rajapaksa today said a new Constitution and electoral reforms would be enacted in the short term under a UPFA government if the party won the general election.

Addressing party supporters at the launch of the UPFA election manifesto at the Hendry Pedris Grounds in Colombo, Mr. Rajapaksa said the 12-point manifesto envisages accelerated development in the economy, housing, education, health, trade and industry, foreign policy, environment, arts and culture, youth, children and women rights while consolidating the national sovereignty and territorial integrity and inter communal harmony. He said a UPFA government would give priority to the introduction of a new constitution, the 20th Amendment to the Constitution and the re-introduction of the Village Councils System for local government administration.

“Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe asks why I re-entered politics. I like to tell him that I returned to politics because people from all over the country asked me to come back. Likewise, a number of leaders of the Constituent parties of the UPFA gave leadership to the countrywide call from our supporters for me to return to politics and the demand was re-echoed in the most vibrant manner at the rallies held at Nugegoda and the other parts of the country,” Mr. Rajapaksa said. (Sandun A Jayasekera)