UNP should reveal why it did not field its leader as candidate in previous polls: Gota
Addressing a meeting on Saturday at Godagama, Homagama, former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa said that though the United National Party (UNP) was so inquisitive about the next presidential candidate of the opposition, it did not reveal why it failed to field its own candidates on the last two occasions.
He said the UNP did not utter a word as to why it was not in a position to field its leader as a candidate on the previous occasions. He said former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, as a politically mature leader, would decide who should become the candidate of the opposition for the next time.
He made these remarks at his ‘Eliya’ programme that was organized by the representatives of Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna
“I think what we should do at this time is to rally people around us. If we work with a proper plan, then we can win whoever our candidate is. Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa commands public support in great. We were able to form a party under the leadership of Basil Rajapaksa . It was done at a time when we did not have a political party. In the same way we are making arrangements to create an awareness among professionals and academics under our ‘ Viyath Maga and Eliya’ programmes.”
He also said that it is their responsibility to gather a force with the people who have understood the value of country’s sovereignty which is a requirement of the nation today. He stressed that fact that arrangements are being made to create an awareness regarding the harmful effects of the proposed constitution, the degrading status of the war heroes and the deteriorating economic situation of the country.
According to him, the previous government had handed over a country without underworld activities and narcotics and the country was economically developed at that time. But, the country is deprived of that situation due to lack of a proper plan. He requested the people to gather around Mahinda Rajapaksa to form a new government because he was the leader who had given fertilizer subsidy to the farmers while developing the infra-structure facilities with the air ports for the development of the economy.
MP Bandula Gunawardene made the welcome speech and the other scholars focused their speeches - how to improve the international relations, new constitution and the duties to be performed by the professionals for the betterment of the country.
On this occasion, Maha Sangha and MP Gamini Lokuge representing the Joint Opposition participated at this event.