Maithripala launches election manifesto

Common Candidate Maithripala Sirisena today launched his manifesto for the 2015 Presidential Election. Sirisena, who is contesting under the ‘swan’ symbol of the New Democratic Front promises sustainable short-term and long-term solutions to existing issues in several fields in the country.

The manifesto, under the theme “A Compassionate Maithri Governance-A Stable Country”, contains 11 main points.

Addressing a gathering at the launch event in Colombo, the former Health Minister stated that certain UPFA politicians have alleged that the country would become politically unstable and that war would resume again if President Mahinda Rajapaksa loses the election.

“The great hero who ended the war, the nationally and internationally acclaimed General Sarath Fonseka is also with us. Therefore we will not allow the LTTE to raise its head once again in this country. We will not allow war to resume again,” Sirisena said.    

“I have worked as the Minister of Defence on five occasions during the war. In the final two weeks before the war ended I served as the Acting Minister of Defence,” he said, adding, that he was the target of five LTTE attacks.

In response to those who say the country would become politically unstable, Sirisena said that there is political instability in the country today and that the reason for this is because the country is not controlled by the Cabinet or the Parliament. “The country is controlled by one family,” he said.

In his manifesto the Common Candidate says: “Though five years have elapsed since that military victory, Sri Lanka has failed to successfully enter a path leading to the overcoming of other major social, political and economic crises that face it.”

“Actually what has happened is the unanticipated further aggravation of these crises. Our country cannot march forward without solving these new and more critical crises.”

“A large number of deviations such as the total breakdown of the rule of law, fraud, corruption, wastage, inability to identify national priorities, environmental degradation, moral and spiritual degradation have emerged as obstacles to our country’s march forward.”

“It is true that there was corruption and fraud always. However, the extent of corruption in Sri Lanka in the last few years is unprecedented and unheard of before.”

“Instead of becoming the Miracle of Asia Sri Lanka is becoming the battle field of world powers,” it said.

Common Candidaite Maithripala Sirisena's Election Manifesto by deranapics