The United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) said today it was illegal for the Prime Minister to lay the foundation stone of the Central Expressway.

“This is the Northern Expressway that we planned and wanted to implement. They have instead changed the name and called it the Central Expressway," SLFP Spokesman Dilan Perera said.

He said that having been informed of the plans to lay the foundation stone, the UPFA had complained to the Elections Commissioner, who had thereafter issued a directive banning speeches.

"Ranil Wickremesinghe is a candidate and it is illegal for him to lay the foundation stone. We brought this to the notice of the Elections Commissioner, who in turn had directed that no speech could be made, although the Prime Minister could be present. The Prime Minister disregarded this directive and went ahead and made a speech," he said.

He said that the estimated cost for the construction of the expressway was full of fraud.

"If you look at the numbers it just doesn’t add up. This government has gone beyond the bond scam and are now engaged in highway robberies," he said.
Flanked by Bandula Gunawardena, Udaya Gammanpila and former Secretary to the Ministry of Media Charitha Herath together with the rest showed bottles depicting poison and called for leaders of the government to consume it.

"Maduluwawe Sobhitha Thera had said that anyone who robs public money has to swallow poison and I call upon the leaders of this government to drink poison because they have continuously robbed public funds," he said.