Mahinda offers olive branch to Opposition to work together in national interest

Friday, 9 November 2012 03:31 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday used the 2013 Budget presentation to offer an olive branch to the vocal Opposition to work together on national political and social issues and to create a poverty-free Sri Lanka by 2015.

President Rajapaksa with UNP MPs (top) and TNA MPs (below) after the Budget 2013 presentation

“Both in the Opposition and in Government have demonstrated that we can work together in the national interest. With the maturity gained through longstanding political experiences, influenced by traditional rural norms and nurtured by family values, you gave the leadership to this august Parliament to host the Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, which reminded me of the silent leadership that was given by my farther, late D.A. Rajapaksa, at a time when we were children. We all should work with a similar sprit when we address our nation’s problems as well. If we are able to do so, no one will be able to undermine the sovereignty of our nation,” Rajapaksa told a near full House in Parliament at the tail end of his Budget speech.

He said that a change in the prevailing Provincial Council system was necessary to make devolution more meaningful to the people. “Devolution should not be a political reform that will lead us to separation but instead it should be one that unifies all of us. It should not involve high spending and complex governance structures that will impose further burden on people. Everybody who met me from all corners of Sri Lanka, whether they were Tamils, Muslims or Sinhalese, asked for greater access to education, health, employment opportunities, better living, and equal standards across the nation. The elimination of provincial disparities using national standards is the main weapon through which national reconciliation can be promoted. This Government remains committed to ensure that these aspirations of our people will be fulfilled,” President said.

“Therefore, I wish to extend a warm invitation to the Leader of the Opposition, Leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) to cooperate with us constructively to solve problems confronted by our people. That will be an effort which ensures greater self-respect, rather than having to lobby foreign countries to interfere in our internal problems,” the President said, amidst applause from the Government benches.

“The Leader of the Opposition, the Leader of the TNA, and I, are experienced enough in life and politics, to spearhead this task,” Rajapaksa added with a smile.

“The journey towards poverty reduction and upliftment of our lower income people has become rough with the Parliament been dragged into a long process in passing the Bill to establish the Divi Neguma Development Department. This amply demonstrates that we still have not reached the milepost that permits us to rest as a nation free of risks. There will be more political, economic, and natural tsunamis. They will remain to be unpredictable. Yet, our resolution to alleviate poverty and uplift the living environment of the poor remains an uncompromised goal. Let’s commit to create a poverty-free Sri Lanka by 2015,” President Rajapaksa said, in concluding the 2013 Budget speech.