By Cyril Wimalasurendre
KANDY – Mud-slinging was not politics, but political bankruptcy, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said after declaring open the new building of the Pathadumbara Pradeshiya Sabha on Saturday (Dec. 29).
The President noted that there was a large scale politically motivated mud slinging campaign in the country. No political advantage could be achieved by mud-slinging, he said adding that political success depended on the extent of cordial relations with the people and on the service rendered to the people.
What was important was not whether the politician belonged to the ruling party or to the opposition but what he had done for the people, he said.
Rajapaksa said the government had launched a massive development programme throughout the country for which it had obtained loans from foreign sources. "We do not utilise foreign loans to buy food. We do not hope to sell our national resources for development projects as happened in the past. The present government on the contrary bought back some resources which were sold in the past," he said.
Sri Lanka had already reached self-sufficiency in some food items such as rice and maize, he said.
President Rajapaksa said most roads both urban and rural were well developed and carpeted. The work on the new Kandy-Colombo highway would commence by May next year. Those development programmes were designed for the benefit of the younger generation. Children needed good infrastructure and other facilities, including good schools and an education to match with those in developed countries.
However, the children should be provided with moral education along with the education in schools. In this regard the religious institutions in the country were expected to play a major role, he said.
"We fought the LTTE for 30 years. We defeated them. We must now live together in brotherhood. Let us learn the languages of the people of this country. It is essential to learn Sinhala, Tamil and English. It is a duty and responsibility to teach these languages to the children," Rajapaksa emphasized.
The President expressed his appreciation to young parliamentarians like Kandy district MP Lohan Ratwatte saying he was taking much interest to continue the services rendered to the people of Pathadumbara by his late father General Anuruddha Ratwatte.
The president said that he would assist in resolving the drinking water problem of Pathadumbara.
Central Province Governor Tikiri Kobbekaduwa said that the Kandy district MP and the party Chief organizer in Pathadumbara had launched a successful development programme for the people of his electorate since he received the blessing of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Several development projects had been launched in Pathadumbara, Governor Kobbekaduwa said.
However, the Governor urged that those responsible for misappropriation of public funds should be severely dealt with.
Deputy Minister of Environment R. M. Abdul Cader, Kandy district MP, Lohan Ratwatte, Chairman, Pathadumbara preadeshiya Sabha Sudarma Welagedara also addressed the gathering.
