Opposition dumb over country’s achievements

Chaminda Perera

President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Monday said the Opposition has become dumb over the country’s achievement in the fields of economy and development while terrorism was being eradicated and was resorting to a dirty game of slinging mud at him and his relatives to cover up its inefficiency.

The President was addressing the UPFA candidates who failed to secure a seat at the last local Government election.

President Rajapaksa stressed that the Opposition has engaged in a dirty game to embarrass the Government and the country in the backdrop of their failure to speak of the freedom enjoyed by the people after the eradication of terrorism. He said the Government is dedicated to ensure that the people of all communities enjoy the dividends of a well established democracy and freedom in the country.

The President said he was able to win the hearts and minds of the people during his entire political carreer spanning over 40 years and his hands are free from mud and blood.

“My political career which was established on the foundation of public confidence is always marching towards victory”, he said.

The President said he was able to unite the country by tearing the illegal agreement that betrayed the country to terrorists and he is determined to bring development to the nation..

He said the rumours being propagated by the Opposition have a very short lifespan.

They said that Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has acquired the ownership of the Appollo Hospital.

But everybody knows that Appollo became a State-owned company after the Supreme Court declared that the privatization of the Insurance Corporation null and void. He said these elements were involved in the propagation of the rumour that we have bought the Swarnavahini TV station. But their attempts were futile when the Swarnavahini management scoffed at those rumours.

The President added that the Government managed the country’s economy effectively during turbulent times. “The people were not allowed to face the repercussions of the global financial crisis and every effort was made to cushion its impact on the public”, he said.

Education Minister Susil Premajayanth, Media and Information Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa and Labour Minister Mervyn Silva also spoke.