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Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
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Monday, September 29, 2014
Presidential polls on January 07 UPFA says too early to predict NORTHERN VOTE
By Ravi Ladduwahetty-September 29, 2014
It was far too premature to predict whether the Northern vote would flow in the direction of Mahinda Rajapaksa, at the next Presidential Election, billed for 7 January, 2015, United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) General Secretary Susil Premajayantha said yesterday.
"It is far too early to predict how the Northern voter will exercise his franchise, Premajayantha told Ceylon Today, by telephone from New York, from where he will be returning to Sri Lanka tomorrow, after being in the Sri Lanka delegation to the United Nations General Assembly sessions.
Meanwhile, Government Spokesman and Media Minister, Keheliya Rambukwella, while confirming that the polls would be held on 7 January, said President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the UPFA were not merely looking at the Northern vote or the votes cast at the just concluded Uva Provincial Council, but the country in its entirety .
However, both Ministers expressed overwhelming confidence that the ruling UPFA would convincingly win the Presidential elections with President Mahinda Rajapaksa as the candidate.
Responding to a question on whether the UNP, under the candidacy of the Opposition and UNP Leader, coupled with the recent appointment of Hambantota District MP Sajith Premadasa as UNP Deputy leader, poses a threat to President Mahinda Rajapaksa, both Premajayantha and Rambukwella replied in the negative.
They said that no candidate would be able to pose a threat to President Rajapaksa, irrespective of which political party they represent, whether it be the UNP, the JVP or anybody else.
The government, under President Mahinda Rajapaksa had delivered to the people the promises he made by eradicating terrorism and developing the economy, they said.
Elaborating, Rambukwella said, "The President and the government delivered the two promises of eradicating terrorism and developing the economy, which is growing to between 7% and 7.5%, being only second to China in the Asian region."
Now, the aim is to distribute the fruits of these developments among the people and to increase the per capita income, while the results of infrastructure development is also seen. Now the aim of the government is to ensure that people have more money in their hands, he said.
The President was also confident that the masses would be sailing with him, Rambukwella asserted.
Asked whether the decision to hold the Presidential Poll was advanced to January 2015 to tell the international community that the Sri Lankan population was still backing the President in the wake of the United Nations Human Rights Commission sessions in March 2015 and with possible sanctions, Rambukwella said, " It was the prerogative and discretion of the President to hold the polls on the date of his choice and there is nothing unethical or illegal about it. "This is a democratic country and anyone is free to come to any conclusion of his or her choice," he said.
Asked the reason why the government had advanced the date of presenting the Appropriation Bill in Parliament, which was presented last Friday, in contrast to the planned 7 October presentation, he said that there was nothing illegal or undemocratic.
It was done at the request of the Government Parliamentary Group to the President, Rambukwella remarked.
By Ravi Ladduwahetty-September 29, 2014It was far too premature to predict whether the Northern vote would flow in the direction of Mahinda Rajapaksa, at the next Presidential Election, billed for 7 January, 2015, United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) General Secretary Susil Premajayantha said yesterday.
"It is far too early to predict how the Northern voter will exercise his franchise, Premajayantha told Ceylon Today, by telephone from New York, from where he will be returning to Sri Lanka tomorrow, after being in the Sri Lanka delegation to the United Nations General Assembly sessions.
Meanwhile, Government Spokesman and Media Minister, Keheliya Rambukwella, while confirming that the polls would be held on 7 January, said President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the UPFA were not merely looking at the Northern vote or the votes cast at the just concluded Uva Provincial Council, but the country in its entirety .
However, both Ministers expressed overwhelming confidence that the ruling UPFA would convincingly win the Presidential elections with President Mahinda Rajapaksa as the candidate.
Responding to a question on whether the UNP, under the candidacy of the Opposition and UNP Leader, coupled with the recent appointment of Hambantota District MP Sajith Premadasa as UNP Deputy leader, poses a threat to President Mahinda Rajapaksa, both Premajayantha and Rambukwella replied in the negative.
They said that no candidate would be able to pose a threat to President Rajapaksa, irrespective of which political party they represent, whether it be the UNP, the JVP or anybody else.
The government, under President Mahinda Rajapaksa had delivered to the people the promises he made by eradicating terrorism and developing the economy, they said.
Elaborating, Rambukwella said, "The President and the government delivered the two promises of eradicating terrorism and developing the economy, which is growing to between 7% and 7.5%, being only second to China in the Asian region."
Now, the aim is to distribute the fruits of these developments among the people and to increase the per capita income, while the results of infrastructure development is also seen. Now the aim of the government is to ensure that people have more money in their hands, he said.
The President was also confident that the masses would be sailing with him, Rambukwella asserted.
Asked whether the decision to hold the Presidential Poll was advanced to January 2015 to tell the international community that the Sri Lankan population was still backing the President in the wake of the United Nations Human Rights Commission sessions in March 2015 and with possible sanctions, Rambukwella said, " It was the prerogative and discretion of the President to hold the polls on the date of his choice and there is nothing unethical or illegal about it. "This is a democratic country and anyone is free to come to any conclusion of his or her choice," he said.
Asked the reason why the government had advanced the date of presenting the Appropriation Bill in Parliament, which was presented last Friday, in contrast to the planned 7 October presentation, he said that there was nothing illegal or undemocratic.
It was done at the request of the Government Parliamentary Group to the President, Rambukwella remarked.
