Daily News Online
 

Friday, 22 May 2009

News Bar »

News: Ill-timed - Human Rights Minister ...        Political: Cabinet decisions ...       Sports: Murali spins kings to semis ...

Home

 | SHARE MARKET  | EXCHANGE RATE  | TRADING  | SUPPLEMENTS  | PICTURE GALLERY  | ARCHIVES | 

dailynews
 ONLINE


OTHER PUBLICATIONS


OTHER LINKS

Marriage Proposals
Classified
Government Gazette
     
 
 
Victory & Beyond | dailynews.lk

Courage and clear policy


The President is being informed of the future plans of the regiment

There was no other leader in our history who had faced so much of internal and international pressure like our leader President Mahinda Rajapaksa during the past two and half years. Yet President Rajapaksa had the courage, a clear policy and firmness to achieve the historic victory over the most ruthless terrorist group in the world, Agriculture and Mahaweli Development Minister Maithreepala Sirisena said at a press conference held at the Mahaweli centre Colombo yesterday.

Neighbouring countries

We thank all the countries that supported us to defeat terrorism, especially our neighbouring countries, India, Pakistan, China, Russia, Japan and Vietnam he said.

During our youth we were told to be as strong as Tito or Castro, but today we can tell the younger generation of the whole world to be as strong as President Rajapaksa. That was the transformation that we have witnessed during our life time he noted.

Transport and Railways Minister Dallas Alahapperuma said over 80,000 Muslims chased out of their villages in the North were languishing in IDP shelters for the past 18 years. The LTTE gave those people only 24 hours to leave their homes allowing only 12 kilograms of their belongings to be taken with them.

Refugees

There were 132 refugee camps in South India where 70,000 Sri Lankan Tamils were languishing but no one speaks about all those refugees but today all seemed to be concerned about the IDPs who were held hostage by the LTTE. The Government had fulfilled its obligation to these IDPs providing them with food, shelter, sanitation and even education for their children.

He said President Rajapaksa said in his address to Parliament that he had asked the international community not to offer advice to us about how to run our internal affairs but to support us to resolve our problems like the rehabilitation of the IDPs and the regions devastated by the LTTE terrorists.

The opposition had made attempts to vilify President Rajapaksa and Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and Army Commander Gen Sarath Fonseka accusing the President of having a secret agreement with the LTTE leader. They accused Defence Secretary of entering into a shady deal over the purchase of military aircraft. The Opposition members who made these charges however did not come before a parliamentary committee appointed to go into these allegations.

Vilification

Such vilification of the President, Defence Secretary and the Army Commander caused pain of mind to their family members as well.

The opposition members responsible for it should now ask for forgiveness he said. Education Minister and UPFA General Secretary Susil Premajayantha said President Rajapaksa was a leader who changed what people believed could not be changes and was a leader who could make bold decisions.

When the Rajapaksa Government was formed there were only 88 seats but today there were 129 members of the government. The President who was a statesman, who loved his motherland and the nation and did not discriminate on people on their ethnicity.

Untied people

It was proved by the fact that Vinayagamurthi Murlidaran a.k.a. Karuna once a terrorist leader of the Eastern province was made a Vice President of the SLFP and appointing Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan a.k.a. Pillayan also a former child soldier of the LTTE as Chief Minister of the Eastern Province.

The President had been able to bring all the people of the country untied to resolve the problems and was a great leader.

Tourism Deputy Minister Faizer Musthapha said the fascist terrorist leader Prabhakaran was never interested in peace and he killed more Tamil people than people of any other community.

But President Mahinda Rajapaksa united the people of the country under the Sri Lankan flag and now we could look forward for better future under his leadership. The Government had decided to mark the historic victory of the armed forces with a number of events to be held in the next few days Agriculture and Mahaveli Development Minister Maithreepala Sirisena said yesterday (20).

All schools will hold a felicitation ceremonies for the members of the three armed for the armed forces at their schools today and all public and private sector organizations have been asked to hold felicitation events today.

Mass rally

There will a mass rally to felicitate the members of the armed forces to be held in Colombo with a procession starting at Campbell Park ending at the parliament grounds Kotte and about 150,000 people from all parts of the country were expected to take part in the procession and rally.

It was not a political but national event and President Rajapaksa will also attend the event he said. On Saturday (23) there will be special program to visit the homes of the members of the armed forces including the homes of those who had had suffered serious injuries sacrificed their lives to pay respects.

Invoke blessings

On Sunday religious services will be held in places of worship of all religions to invoke blessings on the members of the Armed Forces.

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party will hold its 19 party convention on July 05 and the executive committee will meet on May 26 General Secretary of the SLFP and Agriculture Minister Maithripala Sirisena said at a press conference held at the Mahaweli Centre Colombo.

The party will also hold a membership campaign with 500 new members to be enrolled from each electorate he noted. (LdeS)

Related Stories | Home

  • Courage and clear policy

 
 

 

 

EMAIL |   PRINTABLE VIEW | FEEDBACK

TENDER NOTICE - WEB OFFSET NEWSPRINT - ANCL
www.lanka.info
St. Michaels Laxury Apartments
www.apiwenuwenapi.co.uk
LANKAPUVATH - National News Agency of Sri Lanka
www.peaceinsrilanka.org
www.army.lk
www.news.lk
www.defence.lk
Donate Now | defence.lk

| News | Editorial | Business | Features | Political | Security | Sport | World | Letters | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House Copyright © 2009 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.

Comments and suggestions to : Web Editor