SLFP Treasurer and Committee member of UPFA Propaganda Campaign for the Western Province, Minister Dulles Alahapperuma said that many had come forward to state that irrespective of party politics they would strengthen the hands of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, especially at this crucial juncture when the LTTE and its leaders were restricted to a few square kilometres in Pudukudirruppu.

"Today UNP supporters who have been frustrated over the bankrupt policies of the Party leadership and inability to win any election, were coming forward in hordes to join and support the UPFA and its betel symbol."

Addressing a propaganda media briefing at the Mahaweli Centre auditorium in Town Hall last morning, he said that under the first phase of the campaign, the Party had appointed committees from the Bala Mandalas to each and every polling station area on April (2). "We would commence the second phase of our campaign at electorate level."

"Last Saturday and Sunday (March 21 and 22 ) the house to house campaign was carried out successfully by over 2,500 party activists in Colombo. It was a very successful programme. Handbills were distributed in the Sinhala, Tamil and English languages and the feedback was good," he said.

The second phase of the house to house campaign will take place April 3 and 4 with over 5,000 UNP activists ready to accept party membership at a ceremony at Kalutara on April 4, he said.

"UNP organizers, former elected members, party activists have accelerated their entry into the SLFP. Within the next few weeks, more and more UNPers will come forward to strengthen the hands of President. Though UNPers accuse the President of creating divisions in the Party anyone can see clearly that there are two groups – one supportive of Ranil and the other opposed to him," Alahapperuma said.

He said one section of the UNP accused Vajira Abeygunawardena of conniving with the Additional Secretary to the President at night to create divisions, the other section accused Rukman Senanayake of conniving with the President to create divisions in the Party.

"We completely reject such baseless allegations. What UNPers must do instead of looking at Temple Trees for such conspiracies, they must look inwards towards SiriKotha. The President has greater things to do by giving leadership courageously to defeat the country’s biggest enemy the LTTE, wipe it out and remove the word LTTE from our vocabulary for good," he said.