Everyone has accepted our development plan for country - PM
 

BY L.B. WIJAYASIRI in Kandy

PRIME MINISTER Mahinda Rajapakse said that UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe who did everything to destroy the SLFP and bring discredit to President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga all the time is now talking of cooperating with her.

He did so not with any sincere motive of coming into a common consensus on the ethnic issue, but with the ulterior motive of demoralising the SLFP rank and file to win the election.

But he was sadly mistaken because the party leaders and the rank and file were intelligent enough to understand his tactics. He said so when address a "Dinawamu Sri Lanka" rally held at Hanguranketha recently.

It was organised by Central Provincial Council Chief Opposition Whip Saliya Bandara Dissanayake, the brother of UNPer S.B. Dissanayake (UNP).

Prime Minister Rajapakse added that already 27 political parties representing Sinhalese, Tamil, Muslim, Burgher and Moors are supporting him to ensure his victory at the Presidential election, because he has put before the country a programme of work called Mahinda Chinthanaya - which has been accepted by all. Even a large number of UNPers are with him.

Once he is elected on November 17, he would seek the participation of the UNP too in the execution of his commitment to end the war, bring about peace and prosperity thus creating a new Sri Lanka".

The Premier said he would invite UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe too to join with his Government's efforts to find an effective solution to the ethnic conflict and achieve honourable peace. Wickremesinghe's understandings with the LTTE would help in this attempt.

The People's Alliance government had rendered a great service to develop the Hanguranketha electorate. He was glad that former UNP MP Rohan Abeygunasekara and UNP Chief Whip of the Central Provincial Council Opposition were with him at the election campaign.

Some wanted to divide the country. Thondaman says that he would rule the central hills forever, but the people would not allow him to deceive them and continue the rule forever. The people of Hanguranketha and the plantation sector are with us, Premier Rajapakse said.

It is necessary to restore law and order in the country. Special attention has been drawn to the well-being of the children of the nation, with the view to make the younger generation a healthy and strengthened generation.

A programme of work to create that situation has been included in the "Mahinda Chinthana".

A country could not be developed by just improving only one urban area. Every village should be developed.

Measures would be taken to establish an industry in each AGA Division so that jobs could be created and economic development could be achieved, added Prime Minister Rajapakse.