The main opposition United National Party (UNP) said yesterday its manifesto for the April 8 general elections would be more people friendly with its focus on safeguarding free education, free healthcare and providing employment for graduates.

UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe told the party’s Colombo District convention that better education and better health care were vital for a country’s development.

“In many countries such as the United States, Japan, China and India, education and health are considered vital for development but in Sri Lanka these sectors are largely neglected,” he said.

Mr. Wickremesinghe said it was ridiculous to see the ministers who were in charge of health and education after destroying these sectors claiming they qualified to hold the Prime Ministerial portfolio.

He said the UNP would launch a programme to develop all aspects of the education sector within three years and upgrade 500 schools to national level with the provision of necessary facilities to hold classes up to GCE A/L.

With regard to healthcare he pledged to introduce a system where there would be an uninterrupted supply of quality medicinal drugs, equipment and the necessary man power at every government hospital in Sri Lanka.

Mr. Wickremesinghe said the party’s manifesto would also focus on a university curriculum that would produce employable graduates.

He said graduates were not prepared to go for job training after they have completed their degree studies and this was understandable. For this reason a future UNP government would introduce a system of study where graduates would be trained for jobs as part of their degree courses.

Mr. Wickremesinghe said that with proper fiscal management a future UNP government would reduce prices of essential goods.

UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake said if elected the party would abolish the executive presidency within six months.

“A future UNP government will reduce taxes imposed on essential goods and provide relief for the people,” Mr. Attanayake said and charged the government had delayed the increase in gas prices and other essential items only till the elections were over.

UNP front-liner Ravi Karunanayake said UNP would do away with the policy of issuing unpopular circulars. “We pledge to work for the people,” he said.

UNP kicks off from Jaffna

By Yohan Perera

The main opposition UNP is to kick off its campaign for the upcoming general election from Jaffna with the inaugural rally to be held in Jaffna Town on March 19.

This would be the first time the party is having its inaugural rally in Jaffna.

 UNP Jaffna District candidate S, Sathiyenthira told the Daily Mirror that party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe would preside at the rally. However Mr. Sathiyenthira said the UNP had already begun its campaign in the peninsula.

 The party list is headed by Ms. Wijeyakala Maheshwaran the wife of late UNP MP T. Maheswaran who was gunned down in Colombo two years ago.

The party is to hold 32 rallies islandwide with the final rally to be held in Colombo on April 5.