Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva is confident that only the Freedom Alliance has the ability of establish the Eastern Provincial Council, representing all communities. Pointing out that the other parties are in the fray based on a communal foundation, he said the elections will not permit any communal foundation.

Addressing a Freedom Alliance propaganda rally of the Ampara district yesterday, the Minister said the President decided to conduct the polls to establish a Provincial Council, to properly devolve power to the Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim communities.

Eastern Tamils, at the last Batticaloa Local Council polls took a prudent decision against the LTTE, indicating that they do not support the tigers. This is a massive strength to the government, as it is not going to devolve power to the tiger outfit but to the innocent Tamils. The maiden rally of the Ampara District of the Freedom Alliance was held at the Uhana Pradeshiya Sabha office premises.

Minister Nimal Siripala further said the people fear that the tigers will rise again if any other party secured power of the Provincial Council. He asserted that all candidates of the Freedom Alliance should ensure an election devoid of violence. Minister P. Dayaratne was optimistic that the Freedom Alliance will be victorious at the polls. Ministers Athauda Senevirathe and Jagath Pushpakumara and Provincial Councillor Duminda Silva were present. In the meantime, the main Election Monitoring Centre of the Ampara District was also declared open.

(Courtesy: ITN Sri Lanka)