UPFA set for landslide - minister

Dharma SRI ABEYRATNE

The United People's Freedom Alliance will obtain a landslide victory at the elections to the three Provincial Councils, Health Minister and Sri Lanka Freedom Party General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena said.

Addressing a press conference at the Mahaweli Centre yesterday, he said the Nomination Committees will meet at the Mahaweli Centre tomorrow to select the candidates.

Ministers Maithripala Sirisena, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa and Dullas Alahapperuma at the SLFP media conference yesterday. Picture by Nissanka Wijerathne

The three Nomination Committees will be chaired by three ministers.

The Eastern Province Nomination Committee will be chaired by Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa, North Central by Minister John Seneviratne and Sabaragamuwa by Minister Nimal Siiripala de Silva.

"Following this process, the candidates' lists will be submitted for final approval by the Party Central Committee and UPFA leaders within two weeks," Sirisena said.

The minister said the Opposition, especially the UNP, is fearing the elections as they know the inevitable outcome.

"It is due to this fear, the UNP went before court to obtain a stay order against the dissolution of two Provincial Councils," he said.

"The government has put the country on a rapid development track after eradicating terrorism. Mega-scale development activities are in progress.

Development is visible throughout the country. The Opposition knows they will not win this election. Holding elections prior to the scheduled dates are signs of democracy," Sirisena said.

The minister said the UNP once spoke of folding up the election map of Sri Lanka.

The people - friendly government will never hamper the election system by taking such cowardly action that will cause serious damage to the country's democratic credentials, Minister Sirisena said.