Kiriella claims 70% of people with UNP

Higher Education and Highways Minister Lakshman Kiriella said Saturday that the UNP would secure control of all local bodies at the forthcoming Local Government Elections.

Minister Kiriella, who was confident of the party’s victory, claimed that at least 70 percent of the people of Sri Lanka were with the UNP as had been evident from the results of successive elections.

Minister Kiriella addressed the media after paying deposits to the Deputy Commissioner of Elections in Kandy for the UNP candidates for the Kandy Municipal Council and Gangwata Korale Pradeshiya Sabha. Earlier in the day, he paid homage to the sacred Tooth Relic.

Minister Kiriella said that the incumbent government was forging ahead under the leadership of President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe and had become popular. The people throughout the country would ensure that the ruling coalition would consolidate its power at the grassroots level as well, he said.

The UNP had delivered 81,000 votes at the last presidential election from Kandy and the number had gone up to 135,000 at the general election that followed, Kirielle said.

The UNP had fielded genuine and reliable candidates and they would ensure that the local councils were efficiently managed, Minister Kirielle said.

Former Mayors of Kandy Kesara D. Senanayake, Raja Pushpakumara and K. L. Suminda Wickremasinghe were also present.