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Agriculture, Lands, Irrigation and Livestock Minister K. D. Lalkantha yesterday said the merger of parties that have fallen to the bottom of defeat joining together in the Local Government elections poses no challenge to the National People’s Power and that it is like adding another zero to the existing zero. He said that since there is also a Court order, the Local Government elections will most likely be held in late March or early April and that the people will appreciate the good programmes that the Government is currently implementing.
Speaking to the media after the Kandy District Coordination Committee meeting, K. D. Lalkantha also had the following to say: “It would be good if all the groups that the people rejected contest together in an election. Now all they have to say is that they will unite. When they contest together and lose, that talk will also stop. The National People’s Power is doing good political work in the country. Therefore, no matter who joins, we will not become a challenge. We do not need to do any special campaign programmes targeting the Local Government elections. The people are responding positively to the programme and work we are carrying out.
“There is no rice problem as some people are pointing out. During my observation in Kandy city, I learned that there is no major problem regarding rice”.
“We are rebuilding a collapsed country. The Government has to make some decisions, even if they do not like it. That is why taxes on certain products have had to be increased. I personally regret it.However, we must understand that these kinds of decisions have to be made today, even if we do not like them, in order to create a better tomorrow for the people,” he said.
Asela Kuruluwansa and Nihal Jayawardena
