President says time has come for comradeship to save country

Monday, 5 January 2015 00:28 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

President Mahinda Rajapaksa says that the time has come for all people to join hands as one nation with a sense of comradeship in order to save the country from foreign forces that are attempting to divide the country again by destabilising the Government.

“Nobody should be prepared to throw the country once again into a dark age,” the President said addressing a campaign rally at the Mannar Urban Council Playground Friday. Reiterating that his government is committed to resolve the problems of all ethnic groups, the President said that speedy measures will be taken to resolve the problems faced by the farmers and the fishermen in the Mannar district. President Rajapaksa said he is a ‘people oriented’ leader who will always be on the side of the people, regardless of whoever is changing sides. The President asked the people to vote for a leader who will safeguard the future of the country. Addressing another campaign rally at the Bhathiyagama stadium in Kantale on Friday, the President said certain individuals have defected the Government thinking on their own benefits disregarding the masses but all political parties which love the country have joined hands with the President. He pledged to carry forward the massive development program launched by the Government for the welfare of the people.

Gotabaya defends the President

Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa defended President Mahinda Rajapaksa, saying all the allegations raised against him, particularly on corruption, were baseless. Speaking at an event in Galgamuwa, the Defence Secretary said that if the President wanted to gain something through corrupt deals he would have allowed the war to drag as that would be the best time to be corrupt. He said that the most corrupt period was during the war as some arms deals were corrupt yet the President defeated the LTTE and developed the country. Gotabaya Rajapaksa said that the people are now enjoying the benefits of the development of the country and if the President was corrupt as some claim, then the benefits of the development of the country would not have gone to the people. “They talk about the roads. They talk about the Katunayake highway. That project was not taken forward for years but we paid the contractors and got the project moving,” the Defence Secretary said. He said that if there were corrupt deals in these projects then they would not have been completed and instead would have stalled. Rajapaksa also accused former President Chandrika Kumaratunga and said that under her regime and past Governments, the LTTE strengthened militarily and the country was divided. However he said President Mahinda Rajapaksa united the country and now the Opposition is attempting to force the people to forget history and remove him from office. (Colombo Gazette)