Overwhelming victory of the people - President

The overwhelming mandate given by the Southern people at the Southern Provincial Council election is a decisive and strong message to those groups who are trying to create misconceptions about the Government and also to the international community, President Mahinda Rajapaksa issuing statement on the UPFA victory at the Southern Provincial Council elections said yesterday.

The President pointed out that the overwhelming mandate from the Southern people has encouraged the Government to go ahead with its plan to protect the nation, reawaken its livelihood, in a renewed strength.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa, in his message said that he considers the overwhelming victory of the UPFA at the Southern Provincial Council election as a victory of the people who love their Motherland.

”The Southern people who contributed to my victory at the 2005 Presidential election, have reaffirmed their confidence in the UPFA by giving it a two thirds majority at the Southern Provincial Council. And this victory is a clear endorsement of the Mahinda Chinthana program by the Southern people,” the message added.

President Rajapaksa also took this opportunity to invite all to join together for the sacred a mission of creating a proud nation. ”It is with gratitude that I remember the Southern people who joined hands together without confining themselves to political, ethnic and religious differences for the progress of their Motherland”, the President said in his message. He also thanked the Elections Commissioner, Government officials and the Security Forces personnel who took great pains to conduct a peaceful election and those media institutions which acted responsibly during the election period.