President’s name hailed by every freedom-loving world citizen - A
H M Azwer, MP
Speech made by A H M Azwer, MP at the Budget 2012 debate in
Parliament on Saturday.
‘Mr Deputy Chairman, thank you very much for calling me so early in
the day to participate in this Committee Stage Discussion, I feel
exceptionally elated and happy that I was given some time by the Chief
Whip of the Government, Dinesh Gunawardena, to participate in this very
important Committee Stage Discussion.
‘Sir, today, in the whole of Asia and even in the Middle East, the
name of President Mahinda Rajapaksa ranks very high. Wherever we went
with him, to the Arab countries or the Far East, it was the same. Quite
recently, we went with him to the SAARC Conference in Male. They hailed
him as a man of peace. “How did you achieve that, Sir?” That was what
everybody was asking. “How did you completely eliminate the brutal war
that was waged in your country for 30 long years?”, they asked. That is
the lesson they wanted to learn from us. It was none other than Ban Ki-moon,
the Secretary-General of the United Nations, who said, when the
President and his delegation met him: “Sir, you are a senior leader of
Asia. People have given you an overwhelming mandate for the second time.
You must take up the leadership of Asia”. That was the high praise Ban
Ki-moon himself paid to our President. After achieving peace and
eliminating terrorism, his name is hailed by every freedom-loving world
citizen.
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A H M Azwer, MP |
‘When I look at the way things are progressing, when you consider the
victory after victory he was able to achieve, the marvellous economic
revival taking place in the country, how he has brought the North and
the South together, the South and the East and the Centre together,
which no other leader has been able to achieve so far. I have been with
leaders like President J R Jayewardene and others, who could not achieve
this. I make bold to say in this House today, that President Mahinda
Rajapaksa of Sri Lanka is entitled to receive the Nobel Peace Prize this
year. I think they would seriously consider this.
‘Then, see the gigantic pace at which economic revival is being
carried out. In those days, we used to say “all roads lead to Rome”.
Now, all roads lead to Hambantota, not only to Hambantota, but to Galle,
Matara, the Eastern Province-Kalmunai, Pottuvil, Batticaloa, Trincomalee
– Kurunegala and so on. What a marvellous expressway he declared open
the other day !
‘The Southern Expressway. Ceremonially declared open as the “Gateway
to Wonder” at Galle on Sunday, November 27, 2011 by President Mahinda
Rajapaksa, is a marvel to the eye, an absolutely magnificent piece of
work, consolidating the South-Western Quadrant of Sri Lanka. This
Expressway is unique compared with those seen in Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo,
Seoul and other international townships in the Far Est. Unlike those
grandiose foreign roadworks plying through mostly urbanized precincts of
concrete jungles, the Gateway to Wonder wends its way serenely via II
interchanges amidst the plush greenery of virgin lands untouched by man.
Sir, mark my words, “virgin lands untouched by man”. The fleeting
natural scenery on either side of the traveller along the “Gateway to
Wonder” is a God’s gift to mankind; an experience of sheer joy.
”This grand project is one more remarkable addition to the extensive
beautification of the Colombo City, the systematic disposal of garbage,
the upgrading of the life standards of people, causing a confluence of
all minds in one positive direction. Another project in the “Mahinda
Chinthana” is fulfilled in that of the development of the road network
and transport system. Here is he full blooming of “Mahinda Chinthana”.
This is the Magna Carta of Sri Lanka. The Magna Carta gave the British
people liberty and a sense of freedom. But, this “Mahinda Chinthana”
goes further than that. It gives liberty, freedom and self-respect to
the citizenry and also spells out the development programme of the
country in full measure.
“In his address at Karandeniya, President Mahinda Rajapaksa shared
his vision of a similar expressway linking Colombo with Jaffna via the
longwinded A-9 road and another connecting Colombo with Kandy, and by
end 2012, the Colombo-Katunayake Expressway. Now, what do the Jaffna
people want? The other day. I heard the Mavai Senathirajah telling this
House: “We do not want liberty and development at the expense of the
Tamil people”. What is he talking about? The people of the North and the
East are also enjoying the fruits of the development work initiated by
this Government. They know the value of it. You speak to the diaspora
for your own purposes. But, people in the North are enjoying life. I
will tell you one thing. When we go to the United States and other
countries, people who fled this country and who were chased away in 1983
during the “Black July” - do not forget – they say pointing out to their
grandchildren.
“The children in the West, want to taste the Jaffna karthakolomban
mangoes, kottakilangu, and want to travel on the A-9 road.
You are going to get a magnificent A-9 road linked with Jaffna. This
is the development. Who is the leader in the Tamil world who took a bold
decision to address the United Nations in the Tamil Language? The world
Tamil community acknowledges it and you dare not in this House. What a
shame !
”His Excellency also foresaw the future by extending the “Gateway to
Wonder” to Mattala International Airport and encompassing the Hambantota
Harbour. It has been done very well; it has been thought out very well.
Now, in time to come, Sir, in four or five years, our Muslims from
Colombo and the rest of the places will travel to Hambantota in order to
take the flight to the Holy City of Mecca for the performance of Haj.
(The Deputy Chairman)
Please wind up.
(The Hon. Alhaj A H M Azwer)
Give me two minutes more and I will wind up.
“Making the keynote address at the inauguration of National
Conference on Reconciliation at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of
International Relations and Strategic Studies on November 24, 2011, the
Secretary of Defence and Urban Development, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa rightly
endorsed Sri Lanka’s stance and said that it did not need external
guidance to achieve post-conflict reconciliation, which is now in
progress. How true, Mr Deputy Chairman! Surely, Sri Lanka will certainly
not bow down to any foreign power, we are a self-respecting nation. We
have won Independence on our own without shedding a drop of blood and we
will not be dictated to by any other powers; dictates in its road to
achieving prosperity on the foundations of peace – peace which emerged
like a Phoenix from the sullen ashes of terrorism, which tormented this
land for 30 traumatic years.
That was a parlous period of decadence and decay. We have emerged
from that morass and are now on the path to progress and development
within a pious aura of peace and reconciliation.
It is now incumbent upon every loyal and law-abiding citizen,
immaterial of party-politics, communal group or religious sect, to come
together as one body and support Sri Lanka on its path to progress.
The Leader of the Opposition was crying this morning that the
Commissions have not been appointed. Sir, the Parliamentary Council duly
appointed under the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, met
several times.
I am also a Member of that Council. The Human Rights Commission, the
Finance Commission, the Public Service Commission, and the Commission to
Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption were appointed and a
Member to the Judicial Services Commission, three Judges for the Supreme
Court, two Judges for the Court of Appeal, Auditor-General H A S
Samaraweera and the Attorney-General, Eva Wanasundara, were also
appointed by this Council. Only the National Police Commission and the
Delimitation Commission will be appointed, but the Election Commission
will be appointed, perhaps, when there is an election round the corner.
The fact I want to emphasize is that the man who speaks so much of
Parliamentary democracy and independence, Ranil Wickremesinghe, the
Leader of the Opposition, who is a Member of this Parliamentary Council,
has failed to attend even a single meeting and when the media asked D M
Swaminathan as to why he did not attend the Council Meeting, he has gone
on record saying, “My Leader did not want me to attend it”. This is the
way he pays respect to this Parliament and Parliamentary democracy. Sir,
what nonsense he is speaking! He is speaking about Sarath Fonseka’. |
