{"id":35553,"date":"2014-11-29T18:45:30","date_gmt":"2014-11-29T23:45:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=35553"},"modified":"2014-11-29T21:23:33","modified_gmt":"2014-11-30T02:23:33","slug":"upfa-ranks-jolted-by-entry-of-maithripala-sirisena-who-launches-campaign-with-aim-of-swinging-farmer-votes-against-rajapaksa-regime","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=35553","title":{"rendered":"UPFA Ranks Jolted by Entry of Maithripala Sirisena who Launches Campaign with Aim of Swinging Farmer Votes Against Rajapaksa Regime."},"content":{"rendered":"

Even without a name and symbol being chosen, the main Opposition candidate Sirisena will launch his polls campaign today(Nov 30) with a public rally in Polonnaruwa, his constituency. He is expecting to swing the significant farmer vote against the Rajapaksa regime. <\/strong><\/p>\n

\"In<\/a>

In the paddy fields during Rice Harvest. Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka-pic by\/courtesy of: Gwenael Piaser<\/p><\/div>\n

This is while the UPFA launches the second phase of its campaign with public rallies countrywide. A schedule is now being prepared by the Elections Committee of the Alliance. The first phase came when large groups from different parts of the country were to travel to \u2018Temple Trees\u2019 for a meal and an address by President Rajapaksa.<\/p>\n

\"Maithripala<\/a>

Maithripala Sirisena<\/p><\/div>\n

There is little doubt that the UPFA ranks have been jolted by the entry of Maithripala Sirisena as the main presidential rival to Rajapaksa. Voter enthusiasm on all sides of the political spectrum appears to be gathering momentum even before nominations on December 8.<\/em>
\n
\nThe welcome event for Sirisena to Siri Kotha was open to UNP parliamentarians, chief organisers, Provincial Council members and UNP Opposition Leaders in local bodies.<\/p>\n

Sirisena, who cut his teeth in the Communist Party for two years before joining the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) was incarcerated in prison for nearly a year in 1971 on allegedly trumped up charges of political agitation. <\/p>\n

He was highly critical of the Rajapaksa family. \u201cI have come forward to defeat this family. Rajapaksa pledged to abolish the executive presidency. He did not do it. So people have a lot of doubts,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

He added that he had been stripped of his personal security detail. \u201cI will hand over my security to the people\u201d, he told UNP leaders amid applause. Then, he said, \u201cWhat is the problem in this country. You, as UNPers don\u2019t have a Government. We in the SLFP who formed the Government, also don\u2019t have our Government\u201d.<\/p>\n

More revelations came from Sirisena when he addressed doctors at a meeting at the New Town Hall. He said, \u201cWhen I was appointed as the Minister of Health, as I was not a doctor by profession, I nominated Dr. Colvin Gooneratne as my advisor. It was not approved. If a Minister cannot take decisions that will help him improve the performance of his Ministry and the services it offers, there is no use of being a minister. All ministers face this situation. I have been left saddened many times. I learnt when I was the minister that the chairman of a company had collected Rs. 2.5 million from more than 400 pharmaceutical companies. They were thus able to sabotage the implementation of the national drugs policy. This is a national crime.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I initially suggested introducing health hazard warnings on cigarette packets, a recommendation of the World Health Organisation (WHO), the cabinet of ministers rejected it on the grounds that it would have a bad impact on the tourism industry. I was told that not a single foreigner would come to the country, if such warnings were displayed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Further revelations from Sirisena came at a news conference on Friday. He said, \u201cFor the past 10 years, not a single Bandaranaike photo was displayed in the banners and only Mahinda Rakapaksa\u2019s were there. Now we see the photos of S.W.R.D.Bandaranaike and Sirimavo Bandaranaike displayed in banners and posters that the Government is putting up. <\/p>\n

The Government\u2019s real position is exposed. Its corruption is gradually coming to light. The real SLFP is not there within the Government. I have seen the decay of the political system. By contesting for the third term Rajapaksa is making it worse.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe economic policy when we form a government will be an open economy. When asked by journalists on the war-crime charges before the UN Human Rights Council and whether there will be a local inquiry, Sirisena replied that a future government would implement the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission. He said importance would be given to social consensus as a policy and understanding between communities would be promoted.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday, state finances are squandered and there is unbridled corruption in projects and programmes, especially road development. In 2011, at the Economic Development Ministry\u2019s performance meeting at the Central Bank I pointed out that in road development there is a lot of wastage and corruption. <\/p>\n

Later, I was so much under pressure not to bring up the issue again. The Customs do not get the expected income and are unable to perform their duties due to political pressure. It is the same with the Inland Revenue Department. There is really no Excise Department in the country. <\/p>\n

The \u2018mathata thitha\u2019 programme is a failure with alcohol while tobacco and narcotics consumption is increasing daily. There are about 2.6 million people who can\u2019t afford three meals per day. The Government is giving temporary solutions targeting the election without strengthening their economic level of these people.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy campaign will not include any use of polythene; there won\u2019t be cutouts or huge banners. It will be limited to few posters and leaflets. Also, I have clearly instructed supporters not to disturb the ordinary level examinations\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe promise the public that the relief promised from the 2015 budget will be given to the people. We can give more benefits from development to the public. We ask the Government to continue its poster and banner campaign even in Sigiriya, in the Samanala mountain range or even the Sinharaja forest. There was a banner near the entrance of a canal, better to put one at the end also.\u201d<\/p>\n

Courtesy: Sunday Times<\/em><\/p>\n

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Even without a name and symbol being chosen, the main Opposition candidate Sirisena will launch his polls campaign today(Nov 30) with a public rally in Polonnaruwa, his constituency. He is expecting to swing the significant farmer vote against the Rajapaksa regime. This is while the UPFA launches the second phase of its campaign with public …<\/p>\n

Continue reading ‘UPFA Ranks Jolted by Entry of Maithripala Sirisena who Launches Campaign with Aim of Swinging Farmer Votes Against Rajapaksa Regime.’ »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[12],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35553"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=35553"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35553\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35559,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35553\/revisions\/35559"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=35553"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=35553"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=35553"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}