(COLOMBO, LANKAPUVATH) – Sri Lanka President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa says that only proper development is the solution to the problems that have plagued the people for a long time and the government has presented the necessary policy framework and program for it.
As President, he visits from village to village to identify the real problems of the people to address them and people who do not have a clear policy and a plan are today attacking it as well, the President said.
President Rajapaksa emphasized that no matter what obstacles or criticisms come his way, he will not let the people be deceived by false propaganda.
The President expressed these views addressing a meeting of representatives of affiliated organizations of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna held at the Weli Park in Nugegoda Yesterday afternoon (24).
In the 16 months since the current government came to power, a clear policy change in the country has been made. President Rajapaksa said the people of the country demanded that change in the last presidential election
He said the government had done a great deal to preserve the culture, identity and locality as well as the independence of the country.
He said the present government has to face not the problems of this era but the problems of the previous government. Mistakes made by the 19th Amendment is one of them. Those errors were corrected by bringing in the 20th Amendment. The Easter attack was due to the weakening of national security. The present government has to answer to the Easter Commission appointed by them to look into the matter. Like the MCC agreement, the agreement to lease the Eastern Terminal was signed during the last government period. The government also had to face the crisis that arose in this regard.
President Rajapaksa said that those who were in the government at that time are now agitating against the government, raising their own issues. He said the government had to spend more time finding solutions to the problems they were creating.
The government does not allow anyone to cut down trees or destroy the environment. The Opposition has been spreading false propaganda that there is a massive destruction of forests in the country. The President said that he had instructed the District Secretaries to take immediate action in the event of any such destruction at the district level.
Central Province Governor Lalith U. Gamage, North Central Province Governor Mahipala Herath, Ministers GL. Peiris, S.M. Chandrasena, Gamini Lokuge, Basil Rajapaksa, State Ministers DV Chanaka, Kanaka Herath, Piyal Nishantha, Members of Parliament Lalith Ellawala, Sagara Kariyawasam, Udayana Kirindigoda and Jayantha Ketagoda were also present at the occasion.
