People will defeat secret pacts - President

Rasika Somarathna

President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday said he had no doubt that secret pacts, which were threatening to divide the country once again, would be defeated by the people's power on January 26.

Addressing a UPFA sponsored election rally in Ratmalana in support of President Rajapaksa, he told the gathering to vote wisely at the upcoming presidential poll to protect the victory.

He told the public to beware of local conspirators who were hatching plans with the aid of certain international elements to destabilize the country once again and urged them to counter such moves with their vote at the elections slated to take place on January 26.

When the President posed the question to the massive gathering whether they were prepared to protect the victory gained at the sacrifice of many lives, the crowd answered in affirmative in one voice.

He pointed out to the crowd that the Government led by him had accepted responsibility of governing the country at a time when it was on the verge of being divided.

We accepted this challenge and united the country in a very short span after defeating not only terrorists but both local and international conspirators as well.

Your former leader C.V. Gunaratne was brutally killed by terrorists. So many other lives were lost. There sacrifices should not be in vain he added.

The President observed that these conspirators who laid low since the defeat of terrorism was raising their ugly heads once again and urged the people to not let their devious plotting to fool them.

He called on the people to support him at the upcoming elections to ensure a better future for the current and next generation and to take the country on the path to prosperity.

The election rally was also addressed by Ministers Bandula Gunewardene, Susil Premajayantha, G.L.Peiris, A.H.M.Fowzie, Jeevan Kumaratunge, Rohitha Bogollagama, Gamini Lokuge, Wimal Weerawansa MP and others.