Sri Lanka's Health Minister cracks the whip on ruling party members of local governments

Sri Lanka's ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) has found an innovative method to ensure the full implementation of the anti-dengue programmes launched by the country's Health Ministry.



Health Minister and Sri Lanka Freedom Party General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena addressing a gathering at the opening of a new building at the Puttalam-Chilaw hospital said that heads of local governing bodies who fail to assist in the dengue eradication programme will not be given nominations in future elections.

Sirisena warned that while holding the portfolio of Health, he is also the General Secretary of the SLFP who prepares the nominations lists of the party for elections.

According to the Minister, while the local government polls are to be held shortly, the contribution of each local governing body member towards the dengue eradication programme will be taken into consideration when preparing the nominations list for the next local government elections.

Sirisena observed that a majority of the local governing bodies in the country are headed by the SLFP.