Don’t be misled by TNA pledges - Minister Muralitharan

by Shanika Sriyananda

Predicting victory for President Mahinda Rajapaksa in Tuesday's election, National Integration and Reconciliation Minister Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan urged the Tamils not to be misled by the pledges of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) but to vote wisely for President Rajapaksa if they want a promising future under democracy.

Minister Muralitharan told the Sunday Observer on Friday that President Rajapaksa would secure more votes in the forthcoming elections than the previous election.

He said that though the pro-LTTE Tamil leaders want a 'change' for their own gain, ordinary Tamils were with President Rajapaksa who gave them a remarkable 'change' - peace after ending the 30-year LTTE terror.

"He is the only leader who ended the 30-year terror within four years of his tenure", he said.

Minister Muralitharan invited the people to think 'why so-called patriots need a change' while people are enjoying the outcome of the change brought about by President Rajapaksa.

He said voting wisely was important to defeat foreign influence and also the remnants of the LTTE still trying to drag the Tamils in to the stone-age.

"Presidents and Prime Ministers have come and gone but who gave the leadership to defeat the LTTE? They only knelt down before the LTTE and the West. The only leader, who ignored the Western influence and challenged that the LTTE could be defeated was President Rajapaksa. People should remember this with gratitude", Minister Muralitharan said adding that Tamils are confident that President will fulfil their aspirations and develop the country during his second term.

"I think a great responsibility lies in the hands of the Sinhalese and Tamils in this election as this is the most crucial election after decades", he said inviting people to support President Rajapaksa to strengthen democracy and to prevent an emerging dictatorship", he said.

Minister Muralitharan said that Tamil politicians in the North and the East are working hard to bring back President Rajapaksa to power.

"Tamils in the North and the East know who really brought development to their doorsteps and who strove to bring peace while the international community backed by the Opposition and pro-LTTE Tamil politicians were influencing to halt the military offensives to save Velupillai Prabhakaran. I am sure the Tamils will pay their gratitude for these achievements on January 26 to elect President Rajapaksa for his second term", he said.

Minister Muralitharan said that no other Government thought about developing the Eastern province other than Mahinda Rajapaksa's Government. He said a massive development drive was introduced in the East and Easterners got good roads, bridges, electricity and several other development projects for the first time in their lives under the UPFA Government.

When asked whether there could be any impact in securing votes in the East after Batticaloa Mayor Sivageetha Prabhakaran pledged her support for Sarath Fonseka. He said President Rajapaksa would secure over 60 percent of votes from Batticaloa and her support for Fonseka would not create any impact as she was not a key politician. She does not have a good vote base in Batticaloa. " People know how President Rajapaksa supported her and others to enter democracy. She cannot make a big impact", he said.

Minister Muralitharan said that it was high time to defeat the sinister moves of the TNA which dreams of a merged North and East. " I don't think the TNA would be able to re-merge the North and the East as the JVP who went to courts against merging the two provinces and the former Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva who gave the final nod to de-merge the North and East are in the Fonseka camp. So, will they allow the TNA to re-merge the two provinces. Its just another pipe dream of the TNA which expected Prabhakaran to rule the Eelam state". He said that not only the Tamils but the Sinhalese should also seriously think about these factors before casting their votes on January 26.