President only candidate with a work program - PM

A program of work has been placed before the people under the Mahinda Chintana - Idiri Dekma that has never been presented by any candidate before, Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka said.

He said Phase Two of the Mahinda Chintana is not merely a series of promises but a program of work aimed at country's social, economic and cultural uplift.

The Premier was addressing an election rally in Godakawela.

He said the Government expects to make several changes in the administrative set up to accelerate the country's development.

They hope to establish Jana Sabhas in each Grama Sevaka division and by joining several Jana Sabhas to create a Gam Sabha.

"We decided to go back to the Gam Sabha system since it is the local administration that is nearest to the people to solve their various problems," he said.

The Prime Minister said the Gam Sabha system worked successfully in the past. The Premier opined that development cannot be confined to a single village, district or a province.

The Prime Minister said President Mahinda Rajapaksa never took decisions with an eye on the vote.

Even if he lost some votes he took decisions with the country's development in mind. The best example of this is the Norochcholai and Upper Kotmale power projects. All governments before this although drew up plans to commence these projects in the end did not go ahead due to ceratin pressures, he said.

In contrast President Rajapaksa faced these challenges head on and took decisions fearlessly because he was concerned for the future of the country.

The President always thought of the country first and took firm decisions for its benefit, the Prime Minister said.

He said steps are being taken to build five ports, two airports, modernise the road network and provide infrastructure.

Infrastructure is the key for a country's development and investors come only if there is proper infrastructure, Premier Wickramanayaka said.

"Earlier we only exported raw material but very soon we will shipping our own finished products to the outside world bringing massive foreign exchange to the country," he said.

The Premier observed that by growing food crops that can be grown locally, the Government's aim is not only to make the country self-sufficient in food but also introduce value added that would have a big demand in the international market. This, while reducing the outflow of foreign exchange would earn for the country massive foreign exchange. In turn farmers too would receive a good price for their produce, he said.

The President is the only candidate who had mapped out such a program for the country and his victory is assured.

"At a time we are about to turn a new chapter I ask you all to be active partners in this development program," the Prime Minister said.