Uses executive powers for benefit of the Nation:

Country blessed with strong leadership

Nimal Wijesinghe Anuradhapura Additional District group corr

The country has been blessed with a strong leadership which uses the executive powers to work for the benefit of the nation. President Mahinda Rajapaksa used his executive powers to curb the LTTE terrorism completely and brought about permanent peace to the country, Economic Development and Agrarian Services Deputy Minister S M Chandrasena said.

He was speaking at a media conference convened at his Anuradhapura office on April 22.

He condemned the sinister moves by some hypocritical groups demanding immediate reforms to the present constitution such as doing away with the Executive President. The deputy minister said they were now engaged in hoodwinking the people regarding the concept of a common candidate to fight the forthcoming elections representing the Opposition.

Chandrasena said though a group led by Weliamuna was talking about the common candidate, they shall realize that political leaders such as S W R D Bandaranaike, Sirimavo Bandaranaike, J R Jayewardene, R Premadasa, Ranil Wickremesinghe, Chandrika Kumaratunge as well as Sarath Fonseka contested as common candidates being backed by a cluster of political parties. “These hypocritic and sinister forces shall understand that if the person holding executive powers has been a patriotic, people friendly and flexible leader, the best way of governing the country is under an executive president as it is happening presently. It is a fact that at the recent elections six million people voted in favour of Mahinda Rajapaksa and simaltaneously sanctioning the executive presidentship,” Chandrasena emphasized.

He said they were demanding to have elections under the constituency basis.

Chandrasena said that elections held under this system, once the SLFP which represented the five great powers (Pancha Maha Balawegaya) lost the opposition leadership and the country still suffered the consequences of that democratic tragedy.

He said so-called reformers shall question their conscience whether they were genuinely interested in such reforms as being demanded now. Chandrasena said it was evident that these sinister groups were acting in such a way being forced by the local and foreign conspirators who wanted to topple the government.

Chandrasena said that opportunity was given under the present constitution to all minority parties to represent the Parliament.