Former CM confident of victory

Nimal Wijesinghe - Anuradhapura additional District group corr

Former North Central Province Chief Minister Berty Premalal Dissanayke said he would be re-elected again as the NCP Chief Minister for the fourth consecutive time. He said so inaugurating his Provincial Council election campaign at the SLFP's Anuradhapura district office at Anuradhapura airport road.

A large number of party activists and stalwarts were present at the inaugural public rally. “There are a number of rumours and rhetoric spreading with regard to the chief ministership of the North Central Province and media publishing contradictory news items. Whatever these groups predict about the Chief Minister’s Office I will be the chief Minister.

‘During the last PC polls a powerful person contested under the UNP ticket, who was an Army general. He too couldn’t defeat me. There is a saying and a belief that most politicians in power for a very long period get bankrupt or unpopular.

‘But Berty Premalal Dissanayake doesn’t fall into that category” the former Chief Minister said.

He said that in the last three elections his votes had increased. He recalled that in 1999 he gave up a cabinet portfollo to contest the NCP PC under the UPFA.

The former Chief Minister said he did so with the genuine thought of working for the betterment of the people of Rajarata dedicatedly and with determination.

“During my stay in office of the Chief Minister since 1999, I have been able to cause overall development in the fields of provincial education, healthcare, power and water supply and transportation, apart from miraculous development with the 2012 Deyata Kirula project.

‘In the field of agriculture and irrigation development alone more than 1500 dilapidated tanks were completely rehabilitated” Premalal said. He questioned, whether it was highly essential to nominate a candidate to contest the Chief Ministership and that the lapse was not a problem or an inconvenience since he was sure to become Chief Minister for the 4th consecutive term.