Billions Wasted on Elections while People starve...!!!

Billions wasted on elections while people starve-Gayantha .......................

by Zacki Jabbar

Election dates are advanced only under special circumstances, but the Mahinda Rajapaksa government has no qualms about wasting billions of rupees to conduct polls, just to boost its ego, the UNP said yesterday.

Galle District UNP MP Gayantha Karunathillake, addressing a news conference in Colombo, said that the need of the hour was to resolve pressing problems including the lack of housing, jobs and three square meals which has afflicted a majority of Sri Lankans, but the government is hell bent on wasting tax payers money at the hustings.

The economy was in bad shape despite high sounding government claims and the people who were asked to tighten their belts because of the war, are slowly but surely realising that they have been taken for a jolly good ride, he said.

"Unless under exceptional circumstances, elections have to be held on due dates and in a free and fair environment," he said. "The government is delaying the establishment of independent bodies such as the Elections, Police and Public Service Commissions until the Parliamentary and Presidential Elections are over. This way it can continue abusing election laws and intimidate its political opponents as it pleases."

Karunathillake said that the war was long over. The Rajapaksa government should either provide the people with a decent standard of living or quit.



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