Wickremesinghe appeals for renewed mandate for peace

[TamilNet, Sunday, 22 February 2004, 14:39 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremesinghe Sunday addressing the special convention of the United National Party (UNP) held at Colombo New Town hall appealed to the voters to give his coalition a fresh mandate with absolute majority that will enable him to take the peace process forward and to build a new nation in the next six years, political sources in Colombo said.

Mr.Wickremasinghe added that his government brought peace and stability to Sri Lanka during the last two years with out executive powers and with a single majority in parliament. At the last general held in December, 2001 people gave him the mandate to bring peace in the country by bringing the brutal war to an end.

"I have been able to restore peace and economic development in the country with the signing of a ceasefire agreement with the LTTE two years ago and my intention is to consolidate the ceasefire agreement into a permanent one by finding lasting political solution to the national question.

"I need a renewed mandate from the people at the forthcoming election with absolute majority to fulfill this project," said Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe on the second anniversary of the ceasefire agreement, which fell on Sunday.

Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunge is able a hold a general election because of the peace environment brought about by the ceasefire now holding in the country since the UNF government came to power, said Mr.Wickremasinghe.

The UNP held the special convention to map out election strategy to face the forthcoming general election, create awareness and to motivate the rank and file of the party, organizers said.