Elephants forming a Kraal at SLFP Headquarters - Azwer

The Elephants are no more marching towards Siri Kotha, rather they are now flocking in large numbers and almost forming a Kraal at the SLFP Headquarters at T.B. Jayah Mawatha, in Colombo, said Presidential Advisor and Media Ombudsman A.H.M. Azwer.

Azwer speaking at a Public rally at Hyde Park on Tuesday presided over by Director General of Trade Unions at the President's Office Baratha Lakshman Premachandra.

Health and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva presented SLFP membership cards to nearly 2000 UNPers at this meeting.

Azwer said a handful of self conceited persons in Colombo with Western interests were holding to ransom large majority of the poorest class and obtaining their votes by deceitful manner and misleading them. It is a myth to believe that Muslims always voted for the UNP. This is a sheer myth. Bubbles of this myth have now begun to burst.

Awareness has now dawned on the Colombo Muslims and they have realised the truth that no more can the UNP take them for a ride. Like the large majority of the Sinhala populace in the country they too are preparing to enjoy the benefits of the development schemes initiated by the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime.

Minorities - Tamils, Muslims, Malays, Burghers, Memons, Borahs, Sindis and people of Malayalam Telugu and people of the Indian origins have now rallied round the UPFA Government to derive for themselves the massive development programs launched under the Mahinda Chintanaya concept. UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe by signing a secret accord with Prabhakaran had almost given a massive piece of land and maritime areas from Chilaw in the North West upto Jaffna and then the entire Eastern Province going up to the deep jungles of Yala. President Rajapaksa has today become an International hero by depriving the LTTE from usurping these lands and ensuring total unity and territorial integrity of our motherland, he said.

Azwer said Mahinda Rajapaksa is a true friend of the minorities. He is the friend of Palestine.

He had earned the goodwill of leaders of the Muslim world and of other countries. The Muslims in particular should display their gratitude to the President for his steadfast policy on Palestine and also for resettling the Muslims of Mutur within a record of 40 days. Ranil Wickremesinghe has explicitly shown his antagonism towards Palestine. He has always taken a pro-Zionist stance.

He is the only leader who has so far not condemned the bomb blast at the National Meelad-Un-Nabi Celebrations held at Godapitiya, Akuressa. This speaks so much for his love towards the Muslims, Azwer said. He said the President has a well-thought program to develop the City of Colombo towards realisation of these programs of work the Muslims in particular, together with the rest of the voters in Colombo will do a great service by themselves by voting for UPFA candidates in the forthcoming Western Provincial Council Election.

Governor Western Province Seyed Alavi Moulana, Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra, Candidates H.M. Manzil, Ajmal Mowjood, Bindu, Mohamed Azhar (Former SLMC Provincial Council Candidates) Siripala Gintota and several others spoke.