‘Gotabhaya Rajapaksa’s leadership judicious’

COLOMBO: Responding to criticism levelled at the Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Presidential Advisor Nazeer Ahamed said that such actions were not only counter productive but misdirected.

‘In a war there are bound to be lapses. This is unfortunate but true’ he explained ‘but to pinpoint minor lapses and ignore the achievements of the Defence Secretary on the battle front is like missing the wood for the trees.’

Ahamed went on to say it was the leadership Gotabhaya Rajapaksa had provided that has led to the defeat of the Tigers in the East. He added that the Tigers were on the run even in their strongholds like Thopigala.

‘Gotabhaya Rajapaksa’s judicious leadership has increased the morale of the armed forces who recognise him as one of their own since he has an untarnished and valiant record in the army, the Presidential Advisor pointed out ‘he can connect to the army personnel and vice versa.’

Nazeer Ahamed lamented that in stark contrast the Opposition Leader Ranil Wickrememsinghe goes around the world condemning the country on issues he invents while flying around from one place to another.

‘People believe that he has become the international spokesman for the LTTE after the death of Anton Balasingham.’

He pointed out that he found it amusing that the United National Party leader should complain that the economy is going down and that tourists are not coming to Sri Lanka.

‘How do you expect these to happen when we have a responsible man like Wickremesinghe behaving in such a rash and irresponsible manner?’

The Presidential Advisor felt that Ranil Wickremesinghe was deliberately sabotaging the hard work put in by President Mahinda Rajapaksa for cheap political gain.

He said the Opposition Leader knows that his chances of becoming the President of the country are dwindling by the day. ‘In the first place the chances he ever had were next to hopeless.’

Nazeer Ahamed emphasised that the people are with President Mahinda Rajapaksa and there is nothing that the United National Party can do to change that.

‘The best thing for UNP members to do is to follow the example of true UNP patriots led by Minister Karu Jayasuriya and join the government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.’