UNP seeks early parliamentary poll through public petition

Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe declared that a public signature campaign against President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his Government will be launched from next month aimed at demanding early Parliamentary elections.

The signatures against the President will be collected from November and in January campaigns will be started demanding an election to chase away the ‘sahodara samagama’, Mr. Wickremesinghe said addressing the ‘Janarala’ rally held in Horana on Friday.

Ganelanda Purana Raja Maha Vihara Viharadhipathi Ven. Talawathugoda Wimaladhamma Thera was conferred an ‘aktha patra’ yesterday at the Kotte Raja Maha Vihara. Picture shows Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe offering a ‘vijina patha' to the Thera.Also in the picture is the Chief Incumbent of the Bellanwila Raja Maha Vihara Ven. Dr.Bellanwila Wimalaratna Thera. Pic. by Janaka Galappathi.

He said the collection of public signatures calling for the protection of Free Education has already started. “People are not interested about the conflict in the country or political solutions, as their main concern was to win the war in the kitchen,” he said adding that none of the previous governments burdened people with or without a war in the country.

“Electricity, water and telephone bills have increased and transport costs have gone up. So the main crisis people are facing at the moment is the war at home as their earnings are not sufficient to meet the expenses of the month,” he said. “Some shops sell milk powder by measuring the quantities in spoonfuls. People don’t have the means to buy a whole packet of milk powder. But now the price of a 400g milk pack which is Rs. 195 could be increased up to Rs. 275,” he said. He said the Government had not kept its promises made during the election.

“The promise was to reduce food prices and to give salary increments for every increased unit in the cost of living index,” the Opposition Leader said. He said the total blame for the attack on the Anuradhapura Air Base should be placed on Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.

“When questioned about the MiG 27 deal Mr. Rajapaksa said the LTTE was controlled and had no chance of striking again due to the use of MiG 27s. But this time, 18 of our military aircraft were destroyed,” he added. SLFP (M) Party convener Parliamentarian Mangala Samaraweera said the President had not fulfilled any of the 73 promises included in the ‘Mahinda Chinthana’.

Speaking of the attack on the Anuradhapura Air Base, Mr. Samaraweera said it inflicted the greatest damage done to an air base in the world. “Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said the LTTE has no chance of attacking us by air but none of the back up Army teams went for support when the LTTE was attacking the Air Base for seven hours and that was because of our lack of preparation,” he said adding that not the Air Force but the Defence Secretary should take the responsibility for the attack.