UPFA will win this LG election - SB | Daily News

UPFA will win this LG election - SB

The SLFP led UPFA is confident of winning the LG election to set up a strong local government institution since it is supported by most of the political parties in its alliance, Social Empowerment, Welfare and Kandyan Heritage Minister S.B. Dissanayake said yesterday.

He said MP Mahinda Rajapaksa will have to resign from politics following the election as he has left with a group of most junior members of the SLFP and UPFA unlike the stalwarts who left the party in the past.

“He had said that he would resign following the election results,” Minister Dissanayake said.

He made these observations yesterday at a press conference held at the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) head office in Colombo.

Minister Dissanayake said the SLFP which has the lion’s share in the UPFA is being supported by the highest number of parties. He added that except for Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP) leader Dinesh Gunawardena, the rest of the party has joined the UPFA. “The National Freedom Front (NFF) members too are leaving its leader Weerawansa with Mahinda Rajapaksa hasjoined the UPFA,”Minister Dissanayake said. “The active group of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) too have joined the UPFA while the Ceylon Workers’ Congress has joined UPFA and are contesting under our flag in Kandy and Nuwara Eliya.”

Dissanayake further said that when Minister Rishad Bathiudeen’s Party joined with the UNP, the other two parties of Minister Athaulla and State Minister Hisbullah joined with us. “Its the SLFP led UPFA, the only coalition that would contest all the Pradeshiya Sabhas across the country,” Minister S.B. Dissanayake said.

He also said although few members left the party to sit with the opposition, the two secretary generals of SLFP and UPFA have not left while almost all the senior members remain in the party. “None of the ministers and deputies of the SLFP government set up in 1997 have not left to sit with the opposition except for former President Mahinda Rajapaksa,” Minister Dissanayake said. “But when Maithripala Senanayake and T.B. Ilangaratne left SLFP in past, most of the party stalwarts left with them. But when Mahinda Rajapaksa left only a group of juniors left with him.”

National Integration and Reconciliation State Minister A.H. M. Fowzie, Science, Technology and Research Minister Susil Premajayantha, SLFP General Secretary and Agriculture Minister Duminda Dissanayake and former Minister Athauda Seneviratne also participated in the press conference. 


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