President emphasises all are equal before the law

President Mahinda Rajapaksa, while opening several developments made to the Southern Expressway including the ‘Canowin Arcade’ – the newly built rest area at Welipenna on Thursday, emphasised that all are equal before the law, and that justice should be meted out to anyone irrespective of their status.

The President said that when efforts are made in line with constitutional provisions to mete out justice to people accused of malpractices, the accused have made it a practice to blame the Government in return. He said those who wanted corruption and malpractice to be rooted out are now protesting when the government is doing exactly what they wanted.

Speaking further, the President said he had the utmost respect for the Judiciary and following the elimination of terrorism from the soil of this country, anyone has the freedom to express their opinions and move about anywhere freely. He recalled the hardships undergone by the people during the period when they lived under fear and suspicion.

The rest area ‘Canowin Arcade’, declared open by the President at Welipenne on the Expressway, comprises rest rooms, restaurants, fuel stations, a children’s play area, supermarkets, service stations, ATM machines, a vehicle park, first aid and clothing shops.

The Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation has been entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining and managing the rest area. The rest areas on either side of the road have been constructed in an eco-friendly manner.

Before coming to Welipenna, the President also opened the entrance to the new Kottawa exchange which connects the Southern Expressway to the Outer Circular Expressway being built around the city of Colombo. This terminal will comprise five entries and eight exits. The Southern Expressway will be connected to Colombo-Kandy Expressway and Colombo-Katunayake Airport Expressway, which is under construction, via the Colombo Outer Circular Expressway.