Video: Be cruel to be kind: Keep Mahinda out - Ranil

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe who kicked off the election campaign of the United National Front for Good Governance (UNFGG) in Kandy this evening requested the people to have pity on former president Mahinda Rajapaksa and his loyalists and stop them from coming into parliament.

Mr. Wickremesinghe made this jocular remark with reference to President Maithripala Sirisena's observation that those who rob public funds would be reborn as crows and dogs. “Have pity on Rajapaksa and his loyalists and stop them from coming to power as they will be corrupt once again if they do, and will apparently be reborn as crows and dogs as President Sisisena said,” he told the listeners.

Mr. Wickremesinghe made several pledges concerning the economy, and promised that the whole Western Province would be converted into one mega city, while the city of Kandy would be made a city similar to Colombo. He said Kandy would be expanded. He also pledged to create 48 industrial zones with all infrastructural facilities. He said the industrial zones would be like divisional secretariats with all infrastructural facilities.

Also it was announced that work on the Colombo Kandy highway would be begun before the general elections.

Mr.Karunanayake said gas prices would be reduced by Rs 100.

Ministers Patali Champika Ranawaka, Arjuna Ranatunga and Rajitha Senaratne pledged that they, together with President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, would form the next government after August 17. These statements were made just before President Sirisena announced that he would remain neutral at the elections.

The crossover of former JVP MP Dimuthu Bandara Wijekoon to the United National Front for Good Governance was a notable feature at the opening rally.  (Yohan Perera in Kandy - With additional reporting by J. A. L. Jayasinghe and L B. Senaratne)

WATCH


Pic by Pradeep Pathirana