UNP defending interests of LTTE - Trade Minister

H. M. ABEYSINGHE, Kuliyapitiya group corr.

When our troops freed the East the UNP launched ‘Jana Rala Meheyuma’ calling upon the people ‘the country is finished, come forward’ (rata ivarai - perata warew). It was not Sri Lanka but Prabhakaran’s Eelam that was over.

That shows that UNP was defending the interests of the LTTE but not those of Sri Lankans, said the Minister of Trade and Commerce and Co-operatives Bandula Gunawardhana.

He was addressing an SLFP political seminar held in Pannala Community Hall.

The Minister said the UNP is eroding now, the UNP stalwarts such as Colombo District Leader M.H. Mohamed, Amparai District Leader P. Dayaratna, Monaragala District Leader Dharmadasa Banda and several others joined the Government deserting the party with the Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya.

Those dissidents were the cream of the party. In addition the CWC, SLMC and KJP are also with the Government.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa is such a matured leader that he is able to keep the politicians with different opinions under one banner while UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe is unable to keep at least the partymen with him.

He said, for the first time in the history the budget paid attention to the promotion of the co-operative movement. The ordinary people will be benefited through that step as the co-operative network would be utilized to distribute consumer items at a reasonable price.

The state will enter into the importation of essential consumer items and they would be distributed through Sathosa and Co-operative network. That is a practical step to bring down the cost of living lowering the prices of food items.

The Minister of Power and Energy W.D.J. Seneviratne said, the President Mahinda Rajapaksa had taken a very successful step to develop the rural economy.

The ‘Grow more food’ campaign under the theme ‘Let’s grow and build the country’ (api wawamu - rata hadamu) is a tremendous success as the thousands of neglected paddy land and highlands are under cultivation now.

He said, the income of the villagers is rising now as they get a better price for their products such as coconuts, rice, vegetables, fruits, cinnamon, pepper etc. If they worked hard the villagers would get a good income. We must refrain from consuming flour and turn to consume rice. Then the money we paid for decades to the American farmers would go to our cultivators.

Encouraging the rural farmers by way of giving them facilities to grow more food and earn more is the only way to develop the rural economy.

Minister Seneviratne said, apart from developing the rural economy the Government had inaugurated major development projects such as Norochcholai, Trincomalee and Kerawalapitiya Coal Power Generating projects, Upper Kothmale Hydro Power generating project, Hambantota Harbour and Weerawila Airport are a few of them. All those development works are done while launching humanitarian operations against LTTE terrorists.

It is not a war but an operation to free the Tamils from the LTTE grip. Now the East was already freed and the operations to free the North are under way. The area granted to Prabhakaran under the Ranil - Prabha MOU will be freed before long and such areas would be developed providing the necessary infrastructural facilities.

He said, the President works with a vision not to inherit the North and East conflict to the next generation.

The Minister of Education Susil Premajayantha said, the budget 2008 had paid attention to increase the domestic production as a step to lower the cost of living. So long as we follow ‘from ship to mouth’ policy we have to depend on imports. After 60 years of independence President Mahinda Rajapaksa had directed the economy towards the correct path.

He said, this is a people friendly Government. So we perform our duties and responsibilities to fulfil the aspirations of the people.

Their expectation is achieving an end to the North and East conflict and restoration of peace and harmony among the different communities living in the country.

The Minister of Media and Informations Anura Priyadarshana Yapa said, this seminar was organised to give an awareness to the SLFP activists in Katugampola about the current political trend.

A large number of youth had entered the SLFP ranks during the last two years.

It is our duty to sharpen their political knowledge.

The Chairman Pannala Pradeshiya Sabha Ranjith Lansakara and the Vice Chairman Piyal Devapriya Gunaratna also spoke.