Help Govt develop country

by L. S. Ananda WEDAARACHCHI

Bandula Gunawardena	Ven. Aturaliye Ratana Thera	Alavi Mowlana	Raja Collure	Leel Gunasekera

People must rallyround to build their motherland giving up all differences as reiterated by President Mahinda Rajapaksa during his speech at the ceremonial opening of the Parliament, said Western Province Governor Alavi Mowlana.

The LTTE terrorist scourge would have been eradicated long ago had a president of the stature of Mahinda Rajapaksa being voted to office.

We are determined to herald a new era - for the country after the defeat of Prabhakaran and his notorious clique.

The communal mindset must be done away with and all citizens be designated as Sri Lankans. Hereafter, there won’t be the so called major or minor communities in the country as emphasised by the President.

Ninety percent of the Muslims in India voted for the Congress Party led by Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh defeating other political parties which propagated communal policies. It is time for all Sri Lankans to work hard to rebuild the motherland, he said.

Ven. Aturaliye Ratana Thera, Hela Urumaya Parliamentarian said that the killing of Prabhakaran brings peace to the nation. People need a peaceful environment without fear or suspicion, he said.Sri Lanka should not depend on loans alone. We had already paid back double the amount of loans granted by the United States of America. In our road to self sufficiency it is essential for us to have all our food and energy requirements met locally, he stressed.

Trade, Marketing Development, Cooperatives and Consumer Services Minister Bandula Gunawardena said that President Mahinda Rajapaksa had the grit to solve terrorism within a record three years. He is endowed with wisdom, patience and equanimity to settle other outstanding national problems during the coming years. We as Cabinet ministers extend our support and cooperation to him to solve the country’s problems and undertake the responsible task of rebuilding the motherland, he said.

Raja Collure, chairman Communist Party said that the government led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa had realised the causes of terrorism. Eradicating terrorists led by Prabhakaran from the society brings peace and harmony to society. If the causes of the national problem are not resolved terrorism could raise its ugly head again.

We had faith in the President that he will go for a reasonable fair political solution for the decades long national problem, he said.

Former UN Social Development Regional Advisor for ESCAP and Former Regional Director for Commonwealth Asia Pacific Youth Development Leel Gunasekera said that fifty percent of the problem relating to the IDPs in the North would be settled after about 250,000 of them are relocated in their former lands.

In social development, it is expected to wipe off the last tear from the eyes of the poorest of the poor, Either North or South the aim of our development drive should aim at eradicating poverty, he said.

A social development plan addressed to all sections of the terror stricken notheren society including children, widows, adults and youths, must be implemented without delay as proposed by the Presidential Task Force for North “Uturu Wasantaya” chaired by Presidential Senior Advisor, MP Basil Rajapaksa, he stressed.

In his speech to Parliament, President Mahinda Rajapaksa stressed the need to unite and work for the uplift of the motherland. The noble duty of all citizens is to sacrifice their lives to achieve the development goals of the motherland like our great forces who sacrificed their lives during the humanitarian operation which ended with a great victory, he said.