On the occasion, UPFA candidates made a vow that Rajapaksa would be made the prime minister.

Prof. Tissa Vitarana said Rajapaksa would be made the PM and the executive presidency abolished after the election, to fulfil the key promise on which Maithripala Sirisena rode to victory.

Mahinda becoming PM certain

SLFP general secretary Anura Priyadarshana Yapa said Rajapaksa would definitely be made the premier.

It is certain the UPFA would win the election, said former opposition leader Nimal Siripala de Silva, adding that he would be moving the proposal to make Rajapaksa the PM.

Susil Premajayantha, UPFA general secretary, too said Rajapaksa would become the PM, and thanked Dinesh Gunawardena, Wimal Weerawansa, Vasudeva Nanayakkara and Udaya Gammanpila for having given life to the battle to make that a reality.

Notable absentee

A notable absentee at the rally was the district’s UPFA leader, minister Duminda Dissanayake, who worked for the victory of Maithripala Sirisena at the presidential election.

Dissanayake has said that he would not attend the rally despite a request by the supporters, as he has taken a policy decision not to participate in rallies attended by the ex-president.

No picture of Sirisena

At the UPFA platform erected for the rally, not a single picture of president Sirisena was to be seen.

Three days ago, he made a special statement, in which he strongly criticized his predecessor and said he would not support him at the election.