by Kesara Abeywardena in Pelmadulla
UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe Tuesday pledged to scrap privileges enjoyed by Ministers amounting to heavy government expenditure when the UNP comes to power at the general election.

He said that as the Opposition leader during the last six years he used the official vehicle used by Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike as the opposition leader and a privately owned jeep, whereas the Ministers of the present government had kept on importing new vehicles from the public money for their own use citing security reasons.

Addressing an election rally in Pelmadulla Wickremesinghe said that under a UNP government the Ministers would be asked to work and not just enjoy luxury while employing their family members as private staff. "As the Opposition leader I didn’t even keep a private secretary," he said.

He said that the expenditure of each minister would be published in the newspapers for the benefit of the public. He said that MPs will also have to work without just going to parliament and talking. After two years, he said, the work done by each MP will be assessed and those who have worked will only receive nominations in 2005. "We want to make a government that would work for the people," he said.

He asked the people not to send the "sick drug dealers and criminals to parliament. You can send them to prison and not to parliament," he said.

Wickremesinghe said that he would rally all other political parties as well for developing the country and specially to eradicate unemployment. He stated that three boards would be appointed to look into economic development depoliticising the system and fighting the war with the participation of other political parties and professionals in the field. "When everybody’s working together animosity among parties will also diffuse," he added.

Needling President Chandrika Kumaratunga he said that when the true "Diriya Diyaniya" that is Susanthika Jayasinghe returned to the country the fake "Diriya Diyaniya" left the country for London. "Like Susanthika, who had a clear will to get an Olympic medal we also have a will to eradicate unemployment and develop the country," he noted.