Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)

UNP LEADER REFUTES ALLEGATION­S OF SABOTAGE

Allegation­s of Sajith’s election campaign was sabotaged

- BY YOHAN PERERA

I can assure that those in Sirikotha and others in the party machinery had done their job

Rejecting allegation­s that the party Candidate Sajith Premadasa’s election campaign was sabotaged, current UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesi­nghe yesterday said eroding of votes for the party in the South was one of the main reasons for its defeat at the recent Presidenti­al election.

• I nominated former Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa as our candidate for the presidenti­al election and the Party unanimousl­y approved his candidatur­e

• We need to focus on the future of the party and have to come up with a new leadership to the party, which should be given the task to come out with new policies to the party

Mr. wickremesi­nghe who made this remark addressing some party activists for the first time after the recent presidenti­al election stressed the need to focus on revamping the party without pointing fingers at each other for the electoral defeat. “I nominated former Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa as our candidate for the presidenti­al election and the Party unanimousl­y approved his candidatur­e. We contested the election together with a number of other parties. I can assure that those in Sirikotha and others in the party machinery had done their job. I reject the allegation­s that have been made by some that the campaign was sabotaged. We gave responsibi­lities to various persons including the members of Parliament. they have fulfilled these responsibi­lities. I undertook the responsibi­lity of wooing the voters in the North and the East. I have been able to increase the party’s votes in these two areas. Our votes have eroded in the South. that was the main reason for our defeat.we have not got the desired response from the people for the activities which our government carried out such as developmen­t, ensuring democracy and law and order,” mr. wickremesi­nghe said. He said the UNP has come up with a new leader who could win elections and build a new look to the party.

“We need to focus on the future of the party and have to come up with a new leadership to the party, which should be given the task to come out with new policies to the party. We need to create a new leader who could win elections. Party reforms will be completed once that is done. We will get the opportunit­y of going along with a new leadership then.as Buddhists pointing fingers at each other is not what one should be doing.we need to understand as to where we went wrong.

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