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UNP: Hold national elections

21 Sep 2014 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The United National Party (UNP) which expressed its satisfaction about its performance at the Uva Provincial Council elections today threw a challenge at the government to hold a national election as soon as possible.

UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake told a media briefing that his party is ready to face a national election in January next year or even earlier.

“It is the ruling party which published that a Presidential election would be held in January next year and we urge them to hold the election in January or even before,” Mr. Attanayake said

Also he said the UNP was ready to face any national election be it a Presidential or a Parliamentary elections.

Mr. Atttanayake who analysed the results of Saturday’s elections said the vote bank of the government had been eroded. Accordingly he said the ruling UPFA which obtained 72 per cent at the Uva Provincial Council elections in 2009 had obtained only 51 per cent in this election. Also he said the government had lost six seats in the Uva Provincial Council this year

He said the postal vote results had created an interesting trend as it was visible that the votes of the security forces, the Police and the public servants had begun to shift towards the Opposition.

A significant achievement of the UNP at this election according to Mr. Attanayake was that the party had been able to stop the eroding of its Sinhala Buddhist vote base to some extent in this election as the a slice of votes in Moneragala District had shifted towards the party this time.

However, he said the distribution of Rs. 2,500 for drought affected families had a negative impact on the UNP. (Yohan Perera and Dharashana Sanjeewa)

The full statement issued by the UNP:

The first salvos of a freedom struggle that eventually brought down imperialist rule in Sri Lanka were heard in the far corners of Uva-Wellassa nearly 200 years ago.

Resonating that same heroic spirit, that yearning for freedom and justice, the march towards the ultimate defeat of the dictatorial Rajapakse regime has begun in the Uva Province.

The election results from the Uva Provincial poll is a rejection of the regime's policies of enriching a few while mere crumbs are thrown at the masses. This is no longer an acceptable mantra of governance.

It is no secret that President Mahinda Rajapaksa left the Uva provincial election till the very end in order to ensure it would b e a final show of strength before he contests a third, illegal term for the presidency. The Uva Province was perceived to be UPFA's strongest region. It was to be a spectacular win, a message to the rest of Sri Lanka and the world about the unshaken bastions of Rajapaksa power.

Today, the Government has got its answer. The message from the historic region of Uva-Wellassa to the Rajapaksa regime could not be clearer.

The people have had enough of this Government's lies.

They have had enough of its corruption. They are tired of its nepotism and self-serving rule. The people have rejected the lawlessness and impunity perpetrated by the incumbent regime.

The time has come for the Rajapaksa regime to start packing its bags. Their reign of terror and corruption is nearing its end. We know now that democracy will win the day. Uva-Wellassa has proved this by the way they voted in Saturday's election.

Our party's own Harin Fernando, is rewarded in his tremendous sacrifice. Going up against the might of President MahindaRajapaksa , this young politician has set an example for aspiring politicians and statesmen across party lines by the magnitude of what he has managed to achieve. By the might of his sacrifice and the energy he brought to the UNP campaign in Badulla, Harin Fernando has put the party on track for victory at the Presidential Election.

The Rajapaksa Regime which is running scared has pressured the electronic media not to compare the comparison between the 2009 and the present Uva Province Provincial Council election result.

In fact, the comparison of the elections in the media and net sites has been pulled out. The Rajapaksa Regime especially President Rajapaksa is now electorally vulnerable.

We challenge the Regime to hold the election as planned and face the truth about the chaos and misery that the Rajapaksa rule has brought upon the people.

In the face of this first salvo, fired against the regime's authoritarianism and corruption in Uva, it will be incumbent upon all forces opposing Rajapaksa rule to unite in order to deliver the people from this family curse. It will be our duty for the sake of the nation.

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UNP: Hold national elections

The full statement issued by the UNP:

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