Government can face any challenge - Minister

Dharma SRI ABEYRATME

Considering the arrest of KP, it is now evident that the Government is capable of facing and over coming any sort of challenges. This conveys a clear message that the Government is challenge oriented, the Media Minister Laksman Yapa Abeywardena said yesterday at a press conference in Colombo.

"When the Government liberated the North and East and the people from the clutches of LTTE terrorism, the Opposition pretended that the Government is not strong enough to meet challenges such as arresting KP, who has good international relations. But the Government has successfully faced up to these challenges proving that it can successfully overcome any challenge whether it is international or local.

The Government has a proper mechanism to meet these challenges" the Minister Abeywardena said.

During the periods of late President Ranasingha Premadasa and Chandrika Kumarathunga there were certain initiatives to arrest KP. But those efforts were not fruitful.

This Government had launched a proper and effective but silent mechanism to arrest KP. The mission had to somehow or other be accomplished since KP identified himself as the LTTE leader after Prabhakaran. "According to certain local and foreign media reports, the end of the LTTE could only be accomplished, if only KP was arrested.

A foreign body called 'International Crisis Group' said that KP would be central to the cause of defeating terrorism in Sri Lanka, the Minister Abeywardena added.

The election result is a clear indication that the majority of people have endorsed the current program of the Government. Despite the UNP's efforts to deceive the people, not only the Uva but also Vavuniya and Jaffna people have been wise enough, not to fall prey to such trickery again, the Minister noted in relation to the landslide victory of recently held election.

"The landslide victory at the recent election is an endorsement of the correct path followed by the Government and especially the leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

All people, irrespectively of race, creed or caste have appreciated the Government's march towards a brighter future and have shown solidarity with the President's leadership.

Especially the Tamils and Muslims in Uva, Vavuniya and Jaffna have endorsed the Presidency," Minister Abeywardena added.