Daya Gamage issues challenge to Mahinda Rajapaksa

Minister Daya Gamage has challenged former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to declare what service he has actually rendered to the rural areas during his 10 year rule.

Now, he is asking the people to elect him to develop the villages, the Minister of Primary Industries said, during a UNP election meeting at Mahaoya in Ampara yesterday.

He charged that Rajapaksa thought only about earning commission money when he launched ‘white elephant’ projects such as the port, airport and conference halls in Hambantota.

As the country was in an economic crisis, he called for early elections and lost power, Gamage said.

After that ‘despotic regime’ was toppled, a good governance regime led by the UNP was formed, the minister said, and added that that has been able to develop the villages even without having powers of the provincial or local government bodies.