Ranil calls for increased security as Uva gets unruly

Wednesday, 10 September 2014 00:34 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

By Ashwin Hemmathagama Our Lobby Correspondent Leader of the Opposition Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday requested the Government to increase security in the Uva Province to establish law and order to support the forthcoming elections rather than “creating incidents” which will result in the postponing of elections or the conducting of elections over two days.

Wickremesinghe, who also expressed interest in participating in the 8th General Assembly of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) scheduled for 18-24 September under the auspices of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the United National Party (UNP), said: “It is reported that the Government is trying to conduct Uva elections for two days, especially by creating incidents which will support it. You are boasting of winning with a majority of 250,000 votes. If that is the case, let’s increase the security and hold elections within one day. We can see the winners soon. We have an invisible chief minister. Anyway, we will have to take part in ICAPP.” In response, Minister of Water Supply and Drainage and Chief Government Whip Dinesh Gunawardena stated that victory for the Government was s inevitable. “The Government doesn’t have the right to postpone any elections. It is the Elections Commissioner who decides the dates. The Government wants to show you the public mandate again. Get ready for defeat. It is not necessary to increase security in Uva to show our victory,” said Minister Gunawardena.