‘With Ranil actively campaigning, how to win Colombo?’ President asks

President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday queried how could the UPFA win Colombo when Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe was actively campaigning, iancluding by tours in three wheelers.

The witty remark was in response to editors yesterday prior to breakfast with President inquiring after Rajapaksa’s thoughts on the loss of the crucial Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) to the UNP at last week’s local government elections.

“How can we win when Ranil (Wickremesinghe) got in to full swing, actively campaigning and visiting all and sundry in three wheelers in Colombo?” Rajapaksa told editors, who however were aware that even the President and his Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa did join the fray in support of the UPFA and the Government in the run-up to the poll.

In the Colombo Municipality election, the UNP won 24 seats with 43% votes whilst the UPFA secured 16 seats with 32.5% votes.