President has displayed true leadership - Asgiriya Prelate

Asela KURULUWANSA and Indika POLKOTUWA

'While President Mahinda Rajapaksa displayed his true leadership qualities by steering the country on the correct path through consensus joining hands with all sections of society certain opposition political parties are marching towards eternal doom due to the frailties on the part of their leadership,' said Most Ven Udugama Sri Buddharakkhita Mahanayake Thera of the Asgiriya Chapter.

He said that when the Maha Sangha lauded the genuine development programmes launched by the government led by President certain sections labelled them as being partisan.

However, they would never fail to commend the good work done by the government despite such wild accusations.

The Mahanayake Thera expressed these sentiments delivering a brief Anusasana when President Mahinda Rajapaksa called on him at the Asgiriya Maha Viharaya in Kandy and received his blessings yesterday morning.

The Mahanayake Thera said the Maha Sangha always acted impartially and praised the good deeds rendered by anyone irrespective of any political or other bias.

The Prelate who said that a country which suffered due to terrorism and lagged behind in development for nearly 3 decades could not be developed in a matter of a few years added that the massive development effort undertaken by the government was visible to anyone travelling the length and breadth of the country today. However certain leaders who have restricted them to the city were blind to the development and progress under way in the countryside.

He said the country would achieve its development targets on schedule if the Ministers and Parliamentarians took a keen interest similar to the President and performed duties entrusted to them properly.

Commending the President for making a surprise visit to Kandy to look into its shortcomings the Prelate said much work could be done for the progress of Kandy if the government and the Kandy MC administered by the government party teamed up.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa who visited the Sri Dalada Maligawa and homage to the Sacred Tooth Relic later called on Most Ven Tibbotuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Mahanayake Thera at the Malwatte Viharaya and received his blessings.

Central Province Chief Minister Sarath Ekanayake, Parliamentarian Dilum Amunugama, Kandy's Mayor Mahen Ratwatte and Kandy District Secretary Gamini Seneviratne accompanied the President during his visit.