Over 25 SLFP MPs attend Ratnapura rally

26 March 2015 12:53 pm

About 28 Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) MPs and several ministers including Kumara Welgama, C. B Ratnayake and many others attended the Ratnapura rally organised today urging former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to be nominated as UPFA prime ministerial candidate.

UPFA MPs Kumara Welgama, Roshan Ranasinghe, S.M. Chandrasena, T.B. Ekanayake, S. R. Kodithuwakku, Ranjith Soyza, Janaka Wakkumbura, Uditha Lokubandara, Weerakumara Dissanayake, Shehan Semasinghe, Chamika Buddhadasa, V. Indika, Shriyani Wijewickrema, Y.G. Pathmasiri, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Bandula Gunawardane, Vidura Wickramanayake, Salinda Dissanayake, Dilum Amunugama, Manusha Nanayakkara, Lohan Rathwatte, Rohitha Abegunawardane, Kamala Ranatunge, Gamini Lokuge, and a few other MPs attended the rally. 
Western Province Chief Minister Prasanna Ranatunga also attended the rally along with a number of provincial councillors.
 This was the third rally organised by the National Freedom Front (NFF), Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP), Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) and the Democratic Left Front (DLF) calling for Mr. Rajapaksa’s return to active politics.
MPs Vasudeva Nanayakkara, Dinesh Gunawardane, Wimal Weerawansa and Provincial Councillor Udaya Gammanpila spoke to the large crowd attending the rally.  
Under the theme “Independence won is in peril, let us win the challenges of the nation,” the meeting was held at a lorry park in Ratnapura town.
A special message from the former president was read out to the crowd by the former president’s spokesperson Mohan Samaranayake.
“The attention of the National Government of United National Party should be given to the holdup of our country’s economy which was thriving up to the level of a developed nation. We should convey our objection from the city of Ratnapura against the holdup of development,” the message read.
Mr. Rajapaksa also said that everyone should march together to build a unitary, developed and independent Sri Lanka and also to strengthen the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, which contributed to building the country. (Ajithlal Shanthaudaya)