Now that the country is united, we must strive to unite the people too: Mahinda
Saturday, 21 December 2013 00:00
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President Mahinda Rajapaksa said the infrastructure facilities in the Northern Province from roads, railways, hospitals and ports were reconstructed at a cost of $ 4 billion by the Government to provide facilities to the people and not to take political advantage.
“We developed the north as a government and not as the political party, SLFP (Sri Lanka Freedom Party),” he said addressing the SLFP All Island working Committee in Colombo.
“Although some people asked me not to hold elections in the north, I decided to have early elections and for the first time in history, an SLFP member was elected,” President Rajapaksa said. “The SLFP is not a communal party this is the era of working as one nation and country,” the President added.“We believe the people have a right to use their own language. Now the country is united and we must unite the people too. I urge SLFP members to strive towards this objective”. He said while respecting the mandate of the people and dedicating their service to the people, it is also the duty of all people’s representatives of the SLFP to take the party forward.
He said certain elements were trying to weaken the SLFP saying that there are internal disputes. The SLFP is today in the strongest position it had ever attained and no one can distance the party from the people, the President said.
The issues reported from local government institutions were not pertaining to party policy but issues relating to positions. President Rajapaksa said politicians cannot move forward without a party and those who tried to do so have faded into oblivion.
He said today everybody can talk of a golden era of the country because they wield power in Parliament, the Provincial Councils and the local bodies and it is their responsibility to consolidate this power and progress ahead. The Government will never privatise public resources. The country obtains loans for development and the betterment of the people and the country, the President noted.
