NUA joins SLFP

National Unity Alliance (NUA) Members led by Minster Ferial Ashraff joined the SLFP and obtained SLFP membership cards from President Mahinda Rajapaksa at a ceremony at Temple Trees yesterday.

This was inkeeping with an earlier decision taken by the NUA to join the SLFP and assist the President's program aimed to rebuild the country enabling people of all communities to live in harmony in a peaceful atmosphere. President Rajapaksa speaking on the occasion said that in politics there were no permanent friends or enemies. The duty and responsibility of people-friendly politics was to clearly understand the needs of the times.

The President said the decision taken by the NUA to join the SLFP was an impetus for national unity at a time when people of the country had rallied round to co-exist with all communities while safeguarding their own identities.

Minister Ferial Ashraff said the SLFP had given the leadership in eliminating the most ruthless terrorist outfit in the world and it was the duty of all patriotic people to assist the nation-building effort of the President who had provided the leadership to the SLFP in that task.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa said on behalf of the party, I wholeheartedly welcome minister Ferial Ashraff and others who joined our party today. In politics, there are various eras. In each era, there emerges epochal men. Also there are no permanent friends nor enemies in politics. Former Minister Ashraff fulfilled the need of one era which is now over. Today the people of this country can freely travel anywhere and speak their own language. Today we witness the emergence of a new era where everybody respects one another. We are not prepared to talk about the minority people and majority people.

Today we are witnessing the emergence of people who both love the country and don’t love the country,” President Rajapaksa said.

“Therefore, we have a responsibility today to rally round as one nation under the SLFP which has become a very strong political party. All nationalities should work together and very closely in this changed era. We have Muslims living in the remotest parts of Sri Lanka. There they preserve their identities. They speak their own language. They also live amicably with others in these areas. We need to integrate ourselves with society at times. We have respect the culture of others while maintaining our own.

“Today every society is prepared to get along well with the members of another society.

In this context, the decision taken today is a great source of encouragement to national unity. This is a historic event. No one of us should beg before another nation. No one should be subservient to another community. In 2005, during my visit to the East, I said I would not allow one community to be under the jackboot of another community. I have fulfilled this promise in my four year of rule. Therefore, we must become very stronger politically today. Today we must decide between the choice of being united as one strong nation or remain divided. SLFP General Secretary Minister Maithripala Sirisena and several other senior SLFP leaders were also present on the occasion.