“Today, there is justice and fair play in the country and the law is being implemented to the letter. Elimination of bribery and corruption is beneficial to the country. The only person who disliked it was former President Mahinda Rajapaksa,”Agriculture Minister and SLFP General Secretary Duminda Dissanayake said.
“He is frustrated because he has lost all his political clout and privileges,” Dissanayake said.
He expressed these sentiments addressing a ‘Jana Hamuwa’ held at Galnewa in Anuradhapura recently.
Dissanayake said the forthcoming local elections was not to elect a President or to change a government.
“It was an election to elect a regional administration. People should therefore use their wisdom to elect representatives who could render a good job of work to develop their area. It was by electing a member representing the governing party that people cold ensure some worthwhile service for their own benefit and the benefit of their area,” he said.
“Although some people may love and adore Mahinda Rajapaksa there was no point in electing a person representing his side because no worthwhile purpose would be served by electing such person. What people needed as their local representatives were people who could get some valuable work done for the area with the assistance of the government. Nothing would accrue to their area by electing people opposed to the government,” Dissanayake said.
“Whatever the critics may say the consensus government of the two major parties had proved immensely beneficial to the country. Today, people disliked vituperative polities which had been the bane of the country’s progress,” he said.
Minister Dissanayake said that eventhough they disliked former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s style of governance they had no personal enmity towards him. They had followed him when he held the post of President of the country.
“Similarly, they had been faithful to Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga when she was in power. Today, they were duty bound to be loyal to President Maithripala Sirisena. Mahinda Rajapaksa was President for two terms. His decision to contest a Parliamentary seat after vacating the Presidency had denied the prospects of a member of the SLFP second rung leadership of becoming Prime Minister,the SLFP General Secretary said.
“The SLFP had a good future under the leadership of President Maithripala Sirisena. No one would have future prospects by clinging onto former President Mahinda Rajapaksa because as he is a spent force who could never aspire to become President,” Minister Dissanayake said.
“All SLFPers should keep this is mind and try to ensure party unity because this was the best opportunity to form a SLFP government. Any division at this stage would spell doom for the party,” the SLFP General Secretary warned.