Presidential Election is between the aspirations of the people and the vested interest of a power hungry few – Minister Lakshman Yapa

Sri Lanka’s next Presidential Election which is due in January 26, is between the aspirations of the people and the vested interest of a power hungry few, said the Media Minister Lakshman Yapa .

Minister Yapa said President Mahinda Rajapaksa is the only common candidate of the masses of this country, who represents the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) which is affiliated with 27 political parties.

“United Peoples Freedom Alliance which is led by the President is the only available best platform for Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim communities. The voters of this country earlier gave a clear mandate to the President and we are confident the people would again overwhelmingly support the President in the upcoming election”, the Minister added.

Mass Media Minister said that the President will present an extended version of Mahinda Chinthana - the manifesto that will envisage extensive development plans to build the country with a strengthen economy. He also added that within the next two weeks the UPFA will launch its campaign to meet people of this country to seek a fresh mandate.

Responding to a question by a media person, the Minister said that the main opposition United National Party (UNP) as well the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) has failed to come up with any slogans except lunching a vilification campaign against the Rajapaksa family.

“Gotabhaya Rajapaksa is the best Defence Secretary a government ever had in the Sri Lanka’s history. He has the ear of the President and that was the secret behind the success of the humanitarian campaign launched by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to liberate the Tamils and rid the scourge of terrorism from the country,” the Minister pointed out.

He further said the opposition scoffed at plan presented by Basil Rajapaksa MP, regarding the development of the North and Eastern provinces, while the war was progressing. “Some high level officers in the Army too did not approve it. But, he proved himself right and once the terrorism is defeated, infrastructure development launched by Basil Rajapaksa has taken shape in the form of “Negenahira Navodaya” and “Uthuru Wasanthaya” for the development of the north and east.

- Asian Tribune -