President tells newly appointed LG heads :
Uphold peoples’ trust
Rasika SOMARATHNA
‘Uphold people’s trust - work as a team to fulfill their wishes’,
President Mahinda Rajapaksa told the newly appointed heads of Local
Government institutions won by the UPFA at the recent LG polls. The
newly elected Mayors, Chair and Deputy Chairpersons of 45 local
institutions were sworn-in before the President at Temple Trees
yesterday morning.
The President told the new LG heads that the comprehensive victory by
the UPFA at the recent polls was a clear mandate of confidence placed by
the people in the Government.
“Since 2005 we have gone forward in every election and have never
looked back. We should be humbled by the size of the repeated mandates
given by the people and should respond, in full measure, to the trust
placed in us,” the President added.
Thus he told the LG heads that they had a big responsibility on their
shoulders and that they should live up to the trust placed in them by
the people. “Shedding differences you should work as a team to develop
the villages and supplement the overall development of the country,” he
added.
While identifying local council members as the closest political link
to grassroots, President Rajapaksa said that therefore their conduct and
deeds had a direct bearing on the government and the President.
Thus he advised the LG heads to put the people’s needs before
personal interest and added that their behaviour should be highly
disciplined and exemplary.
On ‘manape’ battles within the party fold during polls, President
Rajapaksa said that it was time to put a full stop to personal feuds and
work as a team to fulfill people’s expectations and needs.
While observing that politicians should establish a closer rapport
with the people, the President told LG heads that they should take the
lead in this endeavour.
He also told them to work closely with Provincial Council heads when
enacting development programmes in the villages. President Rajapaksa
stressed that the government has placed great trust on local councils
and said that it is why they have been provided unprecedented financial
allocations in the recent past to develop the villages.
He told local heads to use them wisely and do their duty towards the
people with 100 percent commitment.
UPFA General Secretary Minister Susil Premajayantha also spoke.
Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratne, leader of UPFA’s constituent parties,
government ministers, chief ministers, governors, elected council
members and their families were present. |