Ranil starts election campaign

By Nirupama Subramanian

COLOMBO, AUG. 20. The leader of the United National Party (UNP), Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe, today launched his party's campaign for the October 10 general elections by accusing the Government of attempting to subvert democracy in its hurry to introduce a new Constitution and of failure on the military and economic fronts.

``Only the UNP has the team, a track-record of efficient management of the country, the vision and the plan to rebuild this nation which the People's Alliance has ruined,'' he said at a news conference.

He claimed that when his party handed over the reins of Government to the PA in 1994, the war was contained to the north- east and the economy was healthy.

``Today people are finding it difficult to have three full meals a day, unemployment is rampant and the war has spread to all parts of the country,'' he said.

The Opposition leader, who lost the 1999 presidential election to the Sri Lankan President, Mrs. Chandrika Kumaratunga, said the UNP was ready for the coming election and that the party would soon release its manifesto and its list of candidates.

``This is going to be the PA's last waltz,'' he predicted.

Confident of victory, Mr. Wickremesinghe said after the elections, the UNP would seek a nation-wide consensus on the draft Constitution that his party agreed upon with the PA, by discussing it with all sections of society, including the Buddhist clergy and the LTTE.

The UNP leader, who refused to support the new Constitution in Parliament, forcing the Government to withdraw it, said his party had ``no problem'' with the portions relating to devolution, but only with the transitional provisions. ``We won't say this is our final position (on devolution) but it is a basic document to which changes can be made as we discuss with other parties,'' he said.

Mr. Wickremesinghe described the PA's promise to convert Parliament into a Constituent Assembly in which the new constitution could be passed with a simple majority as ``undemocratic'' and against constitutional procedure.

``The (Supreme) Court itself has ruled that a new Constitution can be brought in only after a two-thirds majority in Parliament and a referendum. There is no other way,'' he said.

Mr. Wickremesinghe said the UNP would ask people to support his party in order to ``safeguard democracy and fundamental rights and ensure that constitutional procedures are followed''.

All other parties too are gearing up for the election campaign. The PA declared it would be putting up candidates in all provinces, including the embattled north-east.

The party's newly-appointed general secretary, Mr. S.B. Dissanayake, said the party had been besieged by aspiring candidates, reflecting the confidence in the PA's prospects at the elections.

There are in all 41 recognised political parties in Sri Lanka, including the nationalist Sihala Urumaya, which was granted recognition by the Election Commissioner earlier this month.

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