Sri Lanka’s Presidential candidate Sajith Premadasa has said he will wear the label of ‘Padman’ proudly and promised to provide sanitary hygiene products free of charge if elected. Mr. Premadasa, representing United National Front (UNF) said in a message today that he remains committed to women’s rights and will not shy away from the conversation. He said more than half of adolescent girls in Sri Lanka miss school when on their period and thousands suffer stigma and put themselves at risk every month.
Meanwhile, his main rival and Sri Lanka People’s Party (SLPP) Presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa today appealed to the Tamils to place their faith in him. Speaking at an election rally in Jaffna today, Mr. Gotabaya said that he has always kept his promises and urged the Tamils to put aside the past and look to the future. The former Defence Secretary said that if elected President he will rehabilitate and free LTTE cadres currently in custody. He said that steps will be taken to give employment for the youth in the North and also address their outstanding issues. Protests were staged in Jaffna by families of the missing to coincide with his visit. Presidential elections are scheduled for 16th of next month with 35 candidates in the fray.
