‘It’s time to re-build the Motherland’

LAKSHMI DE SILVA

Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister Hussain Bhaila said the defeat of the LTTE terrorism was a forgone conclusion but it was a matter of time before the LTTE was completely defeated by the Armed Forces.

We should salute the commanders and and the members of the Armed Forces for their valiant efforts and sacrifices made to defeat the ruthless group of terrorists and for their great humanitarian civilian rescue operation that the Armed Forces conducted with sympathy for the helpless civilians of the North, he said.

It is now a time for all communities to get together and work towards rebuilding our motherland which has been terrorised by people who have had no love even for their own community, Bhaila said.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has already set in motion the process to find devolution of power method and there is no reason for anybody to resort to any violence to achieve any political objectives he said. We have proved that by defeating the most ruthless terrorist organisation in the world.

The people of Sri Lanka are able to withstand any pressure whether internal or external to safeguard democracy and the safety of its citizens the Deputy Minister noted.

JVP parliamentary group leader Anura Kumara Dissanayaka said this was an extraordinary military victory.

This victory has afforded us the opportunity of achieving peace and unity among all communities in the country and to work forward to build peace and prosperity among our nation Disanayaka said.

Plan Implementation Minister P. Dayarathna said as a person living in the Eastern Province he was always hoping for a peaceful solution to resolve the ethnic problem. But every time an effort was made to find a political solution, the LTTE terrorist group was adamant and always wanted their pound of flesh- a separate state.

However, I never agreed to divide the country and always stood for a unitary state Dayarathna said.

Though other Heads of Governments made efforts it was President Mahinda Rajapaksa who had the courage and boldness to crush terrorism from our soil he noted.

Kurunegala District UNP parliamentarian Dayasiri Jayasekera said this victory shattered the LTTE’s dream Eelam and this was the end for the terrorist group who will not be able to operate in this country or anywhere in the world.

We salute the members of the Armed Forces who had sacrificed their lives to achieve this victory. We also congratulate President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and Commanders of the Armed Forces for leading our Forces to achieve this great victory, he said.

Now it was time for us to unite as a nation forgetting ethnic, political or other differences or divisions to build a strong nation. It was necessary to stop slinging mud at our leader and to defeat terrorism politically. Also we should get together to find an equitable and lasting solution to the grievances of the Tamil people he noted.

Power and Energy Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage said President Mahinda Rajapaksa selected trustworthy reliable commanders to defeat the terrorist group but earlier leaders appointed their favourites without considering whether they could defeat terrorism.