Premier at final rally says : Battle between patriotic and non national forces

UPFA Presidential candidate Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse yesterday went on to stress that the current battle was not between two individuals or political parties but a fight to preserve national ethos and aspirations against the threat of alien forces.

The Premier in a taped speech played at his final election rally in Campbell Park regretted his inability to attend yesterday's final election campaign rallies due to high security warnings and stressed that the election campaign promoting his victory was extremely successful.

Following is the taped speech played at yesterday,s meetings. We have only three days ahead of us before the Presidential Election. Today is the final of our propaganda campaign which marks our triumph. I eagerly awaited the opportunity to address you personally at the final rally. The security sources strongly advised me not to be physically present at the final meetings. I convey my regrets on that score.Thus I decided to express my feelings over the air this way.

I wish to say that our election campaign was extremely successful. It was free from violence. There was no harm or harassment to our opponents.

Nor were there any mud slinging. Our start itself was from the hard surface and not from the marshy grounds. Our rivals were quite different. They were unethical and vituperative to the extreme.

There was a book of slander composed against me. It was distributed from door to door. Religious and racist feelings were roused.Law was breached. Scurrilous advertisements were displayed.

These were the results of heightened fury of defeat. It shows political bankruptcy. But the tidal wave of public opinion has emerged right across the country from Point Pedro to Dondra.

Friends, Ours is a country which is sublime. This is a country which had three visits by Lord Buddha. A country of thirty three billions of deities worshipped by Hindus. A country disciplined by the preaching of Jesus Christ and Prophet Mohammed. I am inclined to say that an era of the common man is in the offing to protect this land of virtue.

What we have suggested is a political and economic policy in line with the era to come. That policy will not divide the country but will protect the country. It is not a programme to sell the country but a programme to build up a new Sri Lanka that will emerge triumphant. A practicable programme suitable to the future. It is embraced by millions of people in the country today.

The country is immersed in a river of blood for the last 50 years owing to the unravelling of the national problem. The new era of the common man is emerging to bring a stop to this haemorrhage. We have presented a path of lasting peace with dignity and harmony for all its citizens.

That is a new path. We have formulated plans to alleviate poverty, to eliminate unemployment and youth unrest. To bring prosperity for all. Friends, you can rest assured that the period after November 17 will be a period of law, order, culture, discipline and humanism. That era belongs to our children more than to us.

Friends, Mahinda Rajapakse is not a prince born with the silver spoon in mouth. I belong to the ordinary class like most of you. The only power I possess is the progressive and people friendly political heritage handed down to me by my father and his elder brother.

That is my only wealth. But they are the wealth and power of the masses which surpass all other powers. I know that. Therefore throughout my past political career of 37 years I have remained with the masses. I shall continue to be so in the future too.

The present competition for Presidency is not between Mahinda Rajapakse and Ranil Wickremesinghe. Nor it is a contest between the United Peoples Freedom Alliance and the United National Party. Today two forces are in the fray.

On one side there is the force of patriotic citizens who stand for national identity and national aspirations. On the other side there is the force hostile to national culture ignoring the history and the village by kicking aside everything indigenous in order to serve the alien interests. It is against this back drop that the majority of our people who love the country have shed party, racial and religious differences to join us in this programme.

Under this situation, many UNP supporters at village level came forward to extend their cooperation to carry forward this programme. I wish to point out at this final rally that what we have to consider at this Presidential Election is not our affiliations with the political party or the community, or the religion but only the fact whether we are going to protect our country or not.

Whether we are going to sell our country or we are going to foster our country. Whether we are going to breath new life to our country or whether we are going to stagnate.I wish to tell those who are intent upon voting for the UNP to be mindful of the deception you have experienced throughout the history. I urge all of you not to be deceived further by the leadership who hoodwinked you all the time. Join us to usher in an era of the common man as much as those in the North and East have come forward to defeat cruel differences.

Friends, be rest assured that on 18th the sun of new era will dawn from the East. Be rest assured of the victory of fraternity symbolized by the betel leaf. The country that you entrust to me on November 18 will prosper not by my efforts alone but by the joint efforts of all of you patriots, each of whom is so valuable to me to usher in the era of humanism.

We must resolve to celebrate our victory on November 18 with peace and non-violence without any hurt or harassment to any of our opponents. I shall not tolerate such activities. Not by thought, word or deed. The new era belongs to all of us and our children equally.

We have just passed the celebrations of Ramazan and Deepavali. Tomorrow is the Il full moon day. In a few days time we are in for the Christmas festivities. Then begins the new year of 2006. Let us be determined to honour our culture and emanate universal love and compassion and celebrate our victory with a meal of milk rice to be shared with our neighbours.

Finally I wish to remind you of one thing. I take care of your country to be its temporary custodian and I vouch to fulfil that obligation to the utmost. I am only your leader and not the owner. I become your leader to guide and take you forward. I cannot take hiding behind you and sacrifice you.

I take the lead only to clear your way forward. I am thankful to all of you for the cooperation extended so long. I need your cooperation ten fold in the future. Under the refuge of the triple gem and with the blessings of all deities, may the victory and success be yours.