Government will liberate country from LTTE terrorism - PM

Dhanushka Godakumbura and Karaliyadda Group correspondent

Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake on Sunday called upon the people in the Central Province to rally round the President and support Government efforts to wipe out LTTE terrorism and steer the country towards development and progress by ensuring a convincing victory for the UPFA at the forthcoming Central Provincial Council elections.

The Prime Minister made this appeal addressing a UPFA maiden Provincial Council Election rally on the theme "Protect the war which protects the country" at the Rajawella Mahaweli playground in Digana. A highlight at this rally was the cross over of a large number of UNPers in the area to the UPFA fold. The Prime Minister said this rally which was earlier scheduled for January 9 was postpond owing to the UNP no-confidence motion against the Government due to be debated in Parliament on that day.

However the UNP backed out from the debate at the last minute due to its utter bankruptcy.

The Prime Minister said he would therefore call upon UNPers to leave their party which had no future prospects and join the UPFA which safeguarded the country's future welfare.

The Prime Minister said he would call upon the people to exercise their votes in favour of the betel leaf symbol for two reasons.

The Government was successfully carrying out development activities throughout the country while successfully leading the humanitarian operations to liberate the country from the scourge of terrorism. Prabhakaran was a facist who had engaged in mass murder of innocent civilians including the Maha Sangha and children. Certain foreign parties have already requested that Prabhakaran be handed over to them for trial if he was apprehended by the security forces during the ongoing operations.

The Prime Minister said Prabhakaran's days are now numbered and the Government fully supported the Security Forces in their battle by providing all their requirements.

Environment and Natural Resources Minister Champika Ranawaka said the Security Forces were now successfully carrying out the battle against terrorism in the North achieving successive victories against their foe. The people in the Central Province have now received an opportunity to assist their endeavour by ensuring a UPFA victory at the forthcoming elections to help consolidate those gains.

He requested the people in the Central Province to safeguard the pride of Senkadagala by ensuring a victory for the betel leaf symbol on February 14.

Agriculture Minister Hemakumara Nanayakkara said that although the Government's priority was to defeat terrorism and safeguard the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity it had laid equal emphasis on development activities.

Only a small position of land in Mullaitivu had to be liberated from LTTE clutches. The day the whole country would be brought under a single banner was not far away.

He said the Government had taken steps to boost agriculture by planning to totally ban the import of 30 crops grown locally by next year. The Government had also successfully solved the problem of people of Indian origin by granting citizenship to the remaining Indian origin population in the plantations.

National Freedom Front President and Parliamentarian Wimal Weerawansa said all patriotic forces in this country rallied round to ensure President Mahinda Rajapaksa's victory at the 2005 Presidential elections and prevent Ranil Wickremesinghe from aiming into power.

President Rajapaksa was given a mandate to wipe out terrorism from this country and the mission was being successfully accomplished under his able guidance and leadership.

Now the so called myth about Tiger invincibility had been shattered and Killinochchi the political, administrative and military nerve centre of the LTTE had been liberated.

None of these victories would have been achieved against terrorism if Ranil became President.

He alleged that the UNP which suffered from total bankruptcy was trying to manufacture new political slogans through various sinister means.

The latest slogan 'enough is enough' has been borrowed by the UNPers themselves who have lost confidence in the party to leave the UNP and join the UPFA in droves. He would request all patriotic members in the JVP too to join hands with them to unite the country to overcome terrorism.