President to keep out of UNP’s LG election campaign

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has declared that he would keep out of the Local Government election campaign on behalf of his party – the United National Party (UNP).

President Wickremesinghe had conveyed his position at a meeting with senior members of the party held yesterday, the UNP media unit said.

The President had told his party members that he had been given a mandate as the President to relieve the country from the problems it was facing and not to go beyond that.

He had told the members that, however he would preside over the Working Committee meeting if the party was contest the elections and its candidates need to be selected.

Therefore, he had said that he will not take any campaign activities of the party.

He said that the party would have 40 per cent new candidates.

The President also said that allocations have been made only to pay allowances for 4000 local council members and would like to know if the other elected members would work for free.

President Wickremesinghe was referring to the existing local government system where some 8000 members would have to be selected.