UNP READY FOR PUBLIC DEBATE WITH SLFP

United National Party (UNP) General Secretary Tissa Attanayake has asked his counterpart in the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Minister Maithripala Sirisena to inform him of date and time for the public debate. This was in response to the challenge posed by Mr. Sirisena for such a debate.

UNP official media spokesman and Galle District MP Gayantha Karunatillake told journalists yesterday that it was Mr. Sirisena who was trying to avoid the debate.

He said Mr. Attanayake was ready for the public debate any time with Mr. Sirisena.

Mr. Karunatilleke said the ruling UPFA had started panicking as the situation with regard to the Provincial Council elections had become unfavourable for them. He said this was the reason the ruling party was engaged in distributing kitchen utensils, chicks for the poultry farmers and mammoties to the people in the three

The ruling UPFA had started panicking as the situation with regard to the Provincial Council elections had become unfavourable for them – Gayantha Karunatillake

provinces where the election was to be held.

The UNP MP said his party would not be surprised if the ruling party decided to hold dansalas in the coming days as well.

Referring to his party’s election campaign he said it was proceeding smoothly with both the party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa addressing elec- tion rallies together. He said both the leader and the deputy leader were expected to address nine major rallies with regard to the election. This he said, was in addition to the 1000 pocket meetings that were to be held.

The UNP MP said the last days of the present regime was fast approaching.