Mahinda Rajapakse agreed to protect the country and nation - Rathana Thera
 

by L.B. Wijayasiri in Kandy

Jathika Hela Urumaya MP Ven. Dr. Omalpe Sobhitha Thera said in Kandy that the JHU never encourage war, nor that party had any war mentality. What the JHU want is to create peace for all the people of all ethnic and religious groups. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse has pledged to create peace for all so that the JHU decided to support him to become the President.

The Ven. Thera said so at an election propaganda rally held in support of the candidature of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse for Presidential election opposite Central Market Kandy organised by the JHU.

It was the responsibility of the country's security forces to defend the country and her integrity. Political hand should not interfere with or cause any obstructions to their task, he said.

Opposition Leader and UNP Presidential candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe has stated that a federal system was the only solution to ethnic conflict. But he carry on his election campaign on the slogan 'to defeat division of the country', His policies and slogans were contradictory to each other. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse never deceive the masses to win the election. His sincerity and credibility were unquestionable, Ven. Thera added.

The duty and responsibility of the ruler - the President of the country is to protect the nation. The ruler in a democratic society should work as the servant of the people. Prime Minister had clearly stated that he would not be the ruler but be the guardian of the nation.

That was the calibre of leaders the country needed and not those who are inclined to Western culture and thinking. That is why the JHU decided to support Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse, he added. JHU Parliamentary Group leader Ven. Athureliya Rathana Thera said that the JHU had polled 1 million at the last general elections but they could not win the Presidential election with that number of votes. Therefore they forwarded their conditions to two major political parties.

Ranil Wickremesinghe declined to accept them, fearing that the LTTE would oppose him at the election. But Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse whose confidence was with the peace loving Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim people and not with the LTTE accepted those conditions and they decided to support him.

JHU Kandy District MP Ven. Udawatte Nanda Thera said that the JHU recognized and respected the right of the people to follow any religion as they wished and wished to see that all the people of all the nationalities and religious groups lived together in peace and harmony. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse has pledged to create that atmosphere in the country, without the war.

Ven. Kotinkaduwe Sumanajothi Thera Ven. Hunupitiye Chandrasiri Thera, Ven. Mawareliye Baddiya Thera, Ven. Hanthane Dhammarathana Thera, Ven. Liyanwela Sasanarathana Thera and Patali Champika Ranawaka also spoke.