Opposition sure to lose polls - Minister

The Opposition that devalues the role of soldiers fighting in the Northern front will definitely meet their Waterloo at the forthcoming Provincial Council Elections, said Health and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva.

The Minister was addressing a meeting after opening the Wayamba district office of the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) at Kurunegala.

He said as a large number of soldiers involved in the Northern military offensive were from the North-Western Province , their relations were likely to support the UPFA to strengthen the President.

He said prosperity in the Kurunegala District was based on its well-organised agricultural sector and many people were receiving the economic benefits of policies introduced to usher a strong local agricultural economy.

Minister de Silva said though massive amount of money was being spent on the military offensive, other infrastructural projects had not been ignored. “In fact at the provincial and local level, monies had been allocated for a variety of projects,” he said.

Export Development and International Trade Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris, said the people will directly benefit from several welfare measures announced last month.

He said Sri Lanka had been able to avoid the harsh conditions of the prevailing international recession in comparison with the rich countries in the West and that was due to the prudent economic policies followed by the Government.

The Sri Lankan economy had expanded by more than 40 per cent during the last three years and that had been achieved under specially trying global circumstances, he said.

“Going by the earlier experiences, the Opposition was not likely to win any of these elections”, Prof. Peiris said.

Enterprise Development, Investment Promotion and Media Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa, said when they took over the Provincial Council, only 34% of the Province had access to electricity and there were only 20,000 telephones in the whole Province.

The Minister said there were rumours that he was going to be the Chief Ministerial candidate of the UPFA at the forthcoming Provincial Council elections.

He said he was not keen to get hold of all jobs available and was never in the habit of begging for posts but was interested in serving the people through whatever post that would be given to him.