UPFA MP Manusha Nanayakkara stated that around 75 MPs will attend the rally despite various attempts by the government to stop them. Nanayakkara alleged that the government was attempting to stop MPs from attending the rally by appointing them to ministerial posts. The recent appointment of four deputy ministers was one such attempt, he elaborated.

 

Speaking to Asian Mirror a short while ago, he said that today's rally at Matara would be the climax of the series of rallies to bring fromer president Mahinda Rajapaksa as the UPFA candidate for Prime Minister.

 

Nanayakkara said that the MPs who had been in the campaign from the beginning will take part in the Matara rally. None of them have said that they will not take part, he added.