‘I will not betray country for few votes’

Shirley WIJESINGHE

President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday asserted that he is not ready to betray the country for a few votes and he is well aware of the problems of the Tamils in the North. There is no room for a divided country, accepting the homeland concept of the separatists or autonomy leading for a whatever form of Eelam LTTE had demanded, he added.

He was addressing the first election rally in the City of Colombo held at Campbell Park, Colombo, yesterday.

President Rajapaksa said he has a clear knowledge of the innocent Tamil majority in the North. He said when he started his first term as President in 2005, the country was about to be divided. “All arrangements had been made by Tamil separatists to declare their Eelam as a separated country. If in the event happened, I might have had to fight against another State or a separate country.

“My main task was gathering all who love the country and keeping goodwill with our neighbouring countries.

However, I could direct the military forces to eliminate terrorism from our Motherland and also implement development amidst global economic recession.

Recalling the same rally which had been scheduled to be held in Borella at the last Presidential Election, President Rajapaksa said that he was unable to attend it due to LTTE death threats.

“Today I am participating in this rally after vanquishing terrorism from the country without any fear.”

Responding to claims of his opponents in the election campaign, he stressed that his hands were clean and without any mud or blood on them.