UPFA claims it will win in 14 districts

By Chamodi Gunawardana

Five weeks ahead of the general election, the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) yesterday declared that it would storm to victory by clinching 14 districts while the UNP would only win four.

UPFA General Secretary Susil Premajayantha made this prediction based on the results of previous general and presidential elections.

“During the last presidential election, the candidate who contested under the swan symbol polled only 5.3 million votes. However, when the final results were announced, the swan symbol received 6.2 million votes. When we analysed this carefully, the smaller parties had polled around 900,000 votes. 

That is how 6.2 million votes were calculated in total,” Premajayantha said. He added that in the Jaffna, Vanni and Trincomalee districts, the TNA had a strong chance of winning the majority of seats.

At the last general election Sarath Fonseka’s Democratic Party, the JVP, the JHU and other smaller parties polled around 900,000 votes. Premajayantha predicted that these 900,000 floating votes would definitely come to the betel leaf symbol of the UPFA. 

He stated that even in the Polonnaruwa District, the majority of the votes would be for the betel leaf. 

“In the past presidential election 6.2 million people voted for President Maithripala Sirisena as the common candidate. The United National Party (UNP) cannot presume that it will obtain the same amount of votes for the UNFGG. However, the 5.8 million who voted for former President Mahinda Rajapaksa will vote for him again,” claimed Premajayantha.

He said that the UPFA’s decision not to nominate Mervyn Silva, Duminda Silva, Sarana Gunawardena and Sajin Vass Gunawardena would stand.

Premajayantha went on to say that Arjuna Ranatunga was never granted SLFP membership and his contesting the Gampaha District under the elephant symbol would not affect the UPFA in the least. 

“The Wickremesinghe Government imported a large quantity of ethanol during the last six months, more than what we imported in 2014. The Government only allowed its supporters to import ethanol during the six months,” the UPFA General Secretary claimed. 

He said that the most damage inflicted by UNP Government during its 100-day program came at the Central Bank through the bond scandal. 

“On 17 August, when we are elected to power, all this misuse of power will be totally eliminated,” he added.

The UPFA General Secretary added that their first election rally would be held on 17 July in Anuradhapura.