13 August 2024 07:14 am Views - 3614
Colombo, August 13 (Daily Mirror) - The four main political candidates - Ranil Wickremesinghe, Sajith Premadasa, Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Namal Rajapaksa will begin their campaign rallies soon after nominations end on August 15 with each party eyeing to complete 100 rallies each.
With the main candidates still unableto secure even the 35 per cent vote base, the rallies this year will be ‘cut throat competition’ with a large percentage of voters still undecided as to who they want to see as their next President.
Sources said that the floating voters still remain as high as 40 per cent with each candidate now gearing up to win over this percentage in order to secure a satisfactory outcome in the September 21st election.
According to the parties, all the four main candidates will eye 100 rallies each in all districts with the revival of the economy being the main focus of the campaigns.
Ranil Wickremesinghe who is contesting as an independent candidate with the backing of some SLPP MPS and his own United National Party will have his maiden rally on August 17 starting from Anuradhapura. The rallies will then roll out into all districts and will end at its 100th rally just before
campaigning ends in September.
Sources from Wickremesinghe’s team said that the President’s campaign will mainly focus on continuing the work which Wickremesinghe has begun following the economic crisis in 2022, especially the IMF programme and how Sri Lanka will intend to repay the loans pledged to its creditors. All in all, Wickremesinghe’s campaign will revolve around how he stepped in to lead the country out of the economic crisis in 2022 when no other leader took up the challenge as well as the economic stability he will bring in thereafter if he is elected.
Sajith Premadasa’s team will see 120 rallies with its maiden rally scheduled for August 16th in Kurunegala and then in Matara on August 17.
Premadasa’s campaign will then roll out into all the districts including the north and east with the main focus of his campaign revolving around reviving
the economy as well as a strong stand taken to end corruption.
Premadasa began his campaign well ahead of time just as the NPP and have already covered several districts of the island with impressive voter turnouts.
Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s team have also lined up 100 rallies across the country with his maiden rally scheduled to kick off on August 17 with three rallies to be held in Galle, Matara and Hambantotaon that same day.“we want to take the south by storm on his maiden day,” a senior NPP member
said.
Anura’s campaign will focus on how to revive the country’s economy as well as ending the existing corrupt political culture in the country.
Namal Rajapaksa who entered the presidential race just last week will also hold 100 rallies in all districts with emphasis also on the north and east. His maiden rally will be held on August 21 in Anuradhapura. As he is the youngest Presidential candidate, his campaign will focus on providing a stable and secure future for the youth especially by creating job opportunities by bringing in development and FDIS. He will also speak on encouraging more budding entrepreneurs to enter the local market and will also campaign on resolving the economic crisis without compromising on the
national interests.