Maiden address in Parliament:

Namal advocates Jana Sabha system

By Uditha KUMARASINGHE

UPFA Hambantota district MP Namal Rajapaksa making his maiden speech in Parliament on Tuesday said joint efforts should be made to develop the village irrespective of political differences to safeguard the country's future and the great victory achieved by the nation.

Rajapaksa making his speech at the emergency debate as the youngest MP elected to the Seventh Parliament said under Mahinda Chinthana the Government could pave the way for a new era of rural development. "With that experience, I also commenced my political campaign under the theme let us develop our village."

Whatever development drive launched by the Government, its benefits should go to the youth scattered countrywide. It is very welcome move to introduce a Jana Sabha system under the "Mahinda Chinthana".

The intention of the Government is to identify the problems in villages and provide speedy solutions to overcome those problems. "Tharunyata Hetak organisation" was also formed with the sole purpose of seeking the contribution of youth towards the development process. The benefits of Hambantota port and Maththala international airport should also reach the youth in villages. Under the leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the country has entered into a new path of development.

If we want to safeguard the unitary status and future of the country, immediate measures should be taken to develop the villages. President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his father the late Minister D.A.Rajapaksa had expressed their views to this House on the importance of rural development, he said.

"The present need of the hour is political parties and patriotic people who can dedicate themselves for the freedom of the country, not political parties which attempt to betray the great victory achieved by the nation. In order to respect those who made the supreme sacrifice to gain this independence to the nation, we should safeguard it for the sake of the future generations."

The young Parliamentarian in his maiden speech further said the youth, should extend gratitude to the Government on the decision taken to relax the Emergency Regulations. The Emergency should be fully relaxed in future. Even today pro-LTTE elements make various attempts to destabilise the country. Therefore, the emergency regulations should be relaxed systematically.

"It was the youth and parents who had to suffer a lot due to the Emergency. The emergency is older than I am. It was re-introduced in 2005 after the assassination of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar. Two youth insurgencies occurred in our country. During the terror period, our Carlton House was subjected to a bomb attack. After this incident my second brother could not speak for nearly eight years due to the trauma. The future of Northern youth was dragged into darkness as a result of terrorism which prevailed in those areas."

Rajapaksa said the time has also come to set up a commission to find out the root causes which led to terrorism. The country's future should be built by properly studying the incidents which took place in the past.

He also extended his gratitude to the people of Hambantota who elected him as the youngest MP in Parliament.

In 1948 Lakshman Rajapaksa was elected to Parliament as the youngest MP while my father Mahinda Rajapaksa entered Parliament as the youngest MP in 1970. At 23, I was able to become the youngest MP of the seventh Parliament established after the eradication of terrorism.