Continuous election victories show:

People approved our policies - President

Jayasiri MUNASINGHE

Our continuous election victories have shown that the public approved the policies and programs of the Government which fulfils the promises given to them, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said at the swearing-in ceremony of the Provincial Council members elected to the Uva Provincial Council held at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday.

The President said that though some people criticised the Government for holding elections on a staggered basis, the result that would emerge even from elections held together would be the same.

"This means that the people have endorsed the policies of this Government which never broke the promises given to them," the President said.

"We liberated the country from terrorism. The Uva Provincial Council election is the very first one we held after the war victory.

People in that Province showed their gratitude towards the Government at the very first instance they got. You must devote your time to make their lives better," the President said.

"You must work hard day and night to develop the Province, the way you toiled hard to canvass at the election."

"These posts are not just stepping stones to go to Parliament. All these posts belong to the people. You must use the posts for the benefit of the people. You shouldn't use the posts to get preferential votes," President Rajapaksa said.

"You must remove the word 'can't' from your vocabulary. You must devote yourself to provide the maximum service to the people."

Uva Province is full of complexities and anomalies. You have the capacity to develop this Province as the best developed one in Sri Lanka. Some people criticise that Provincial Councils are 'white elephants'. You can change this by discharging all the services to the people. You must share the powers you have gained for the benefit of the people. You must work in unity and make this Province a highly developed one, the President said.

Uva Province provides Rs. 800 million to the national economy. So it is your moral duty to develop this Province. Forget about political perks, posts and other privileges to serve the people. Then only you can make the long forward march.

"We have removed the term 'border villages' from our map. Now is our turn to remove the term difficult areas and villages from this map. Areas like Moneragala and Badulla are difficult districts.

However, I wouldn't say that they are areas of poverty. Some people shirk in their duties when offered with posts.

They don't attend the council meetings from the day they are elected. We don't expect that to happen from you. You all must make a change for the betterment of Uva. You have the bounden responsibility to make Uva Provincial Council a model one in Sri Lanka, the President said.

Agricultural Development and Agrarian Services Minister and SLFP General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena said a large number of political parties and organisations have flocked round the UPFA which arrived at decision after discussion and consultation. Their fundamental objective is service to the people.

The new Board of Ministers for the Uva Provincial Council was also selected after careful discussion. As such they all were duty bound to perform their duties properly.