DM Jayaratna, oldest living SLFP member says...:

President has a new vision for self-sufficiency

by L. S. Ananda WEDAARACHCHI

Senior Vice President of Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), People's United Front (PUF), General Secretary and Plantation Industries Minister D. M. Jayaratna said that Sri Lanka Freedom Party is the strongest democratic political party in Asia.

The SLFP, founded by S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike who sacrificed his precious life for the sake of the country, scored great victories under its subsequent leaders during the last 58 years.

As the oldest living SLFP member who joined the party on September 2, 1951, the very date it was launched, the veteran parliamentarian said that he strongly believes President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the present party leader transformed SLFP into a true people's party.

In an exclusive interview with Sunday Observer to mark the SLFP National Convention which is being held today at Kettarama stadium, he said that except to the SLFP no other political party was able to ensure true independence and sovereignty of the country after redeeming it from the reactionaries both local and foreign.

The thirty year old terrorist menace led by terrorist supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran was eliminated by our Armed Forces under the Commander-in-chief President Mahinda Rajapaksa who had become one and only and the most abled and strongest leader to withstand successfully against terrorism. Today terrorism has wrought havoc in Asia and Western world including Pakistan, Afghanistan, USA and UK, he said.

It has proved that under President Mahinda Rajapaksa's strong leadership Sri Lanka Freedom Party can achieve its set targets in the war front or the development sphere, he said.

SLFP was established at a time when imperialism reigned supreme in many parts of the globe. SLFP leaders such as S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike and Srimavo Bandaranaike transformed Sri Lanka into a truly independent and democratic country removing British air bases from Katunayake and Trincomalee and nationalising main economic hubs such as petroleum, estates, insurance, transport etc., between 1956 to 1977. Madam Sirimavo Bandaranaike carried out those progressive policies forward culminating Sri Lanka being declared a democratic socialist republic. Those policies were continued further by Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga as the SLFP leader, he said.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has a new vision for self-sufficiency and total sovereignty of the country. That is the need of the hour.

As the most senior member of SLFP and a loyal SLFPer, I reiterate the need to make the SLFP much stronger under President Mahinda Rajapaksa and safeguard the historic achievements as a fillip to fulfil the future hopes, he said.