SLFP members unanimously demanded to hold first the Presidential Election

“Sri Lanka Freedom party is a proud political outfit which has saved the country recently from the scourge of terrorism, and all our party supporters and partners have the right to be proud, said President Rajapaksa.

."We are a proud party that liberated the country,” President Mahinda Rajapaksa declared amidst thunderous applause.

He pointed out that the SLFP was a party that put the nation before itself and noted it was a proud feature rare in today's politics in the country.

SLFP leader, President Mahinda Rajapaksa delivered the Presidential address yesterday evening, in the 58th National Convention of the SLFP at the Kettarama Stadium, Colombo.

Yesterday's Convention of the SLFP was a colorful event that depicted national unity among all communities.

“We never feared international pressure or international war tribunals, but was ready to defend the nation at all costs", reiterated President Rajapaksa to an audience attentively listening in an atmosphere of pin drop silence.

President said that the government never thought of elections when they defeated the terrorism but only about the country’s future.

The Head of State said that the SLFP was a party that never feared elections and never claimed to roll up electoral maps of this country."

“We have no reason to be afraid of elections and we are ready to go for any elections asked by the general public. All provincial council elections which we conducted in recent past were won by the United People’s Freedom Alliance, with a majority of 2. 5 million votes. The government too has 44 majority votes in the Parliament”, the President said in his speech.

President also said that though a government needs a strong opposition, but unfortunately we have a weak one at present.

Referring to opposition politics of opportune, President Rajapaksa noted that opportunistic opposition political parties had no strength and they belonged to the past and not to the future.

"We have rolled up the brutal LTTE from the political map and democratic political parties could function freely today", the President asserted.

Continuing his address, President Rajapaksa cracked that the main opposition party and said that it was today without a presidential candidate and was going begging round and round in circles to find a presidential candidate."

See what has happened to a party formed by DS Senanayake and other great leaders", lamented the President.

President also asked the party members what they prefer a presidential election or a general election and party members shouted in chorus telling the President to go for a presidential election.

President said that the Government will take a decision in due course whether to go for a presidential election or a general election.

President said that the views expressed at the Convention by the party membership on holding the next presidential election before schedule would be put before the party for a decision.

The President said the SLFP was a democratic party that practiced justice by all irrespective of race or religion and added that unlike the days after 1977, the SLFP regime of today has given the opposition to enjoy the right of democracy.

He further pointed out that the SLFP was a party that put the nation before itself and noted it was a proud feature rare in today's politics in the country."We are a proud party that liberated the country from a curse of a three decade of terrorism that destroyed life and property", said the SLFP leader.

"Today, the SLFP is a strong party that could face all challenges. We now want to develop this country. We have won the war. This was a party that could not appoint a Speaker but, we have now have a majority of 44 members in Parliament. If we want we can take more from the opposite side", quipped the President in a lighter vein.

The President used the opportunity to pay tribute to all founder leaders and leaders of the SLFP, and those who sacrificed their lives for the party. He also paid a glowing tribute to all war heroes who stood up to protect the nation from the brutal LTTE terrorism.

President Rajapaksa added that the SLFP was a party which thought of today's children and those to be born."Our party has created a free nation for generations to live without fear", he stressed.

Recalling the history, President Rajapaksa said that the SLFP had political power in Jaffna from the Duraiappa days and that power was cultivated from the inception of the party in that region.

Speaking on patriotism, President Rajapaksa said that when the notion to develop the country is set in motion, there could be patriots who could become traitors for political reasons."Such elements will only honor the last wish of LTTE leader Prabhakaran, who wanted to divide the military and the people", President Rajapaksa observed.

The President said the SLFP had a grand and viable plan to develop the country and would go ahead with it."Despite the war we embarked on gigantic development projects and we shall continue with more", said the President.

He said the first oil well will bear results in 2010 and Sri Lanka could proudly use its' own fuel for consumption as a proud nation.

Wishing the gathering and the nation a bright future, President Rajapaksa said the nation had entered a new development century."You need peace for development and development needs peace", concluded the President.

Thereafter, the President speedily came down the stairway close to the podium to perform an athletic type journey around the Kettarama Stadium despite the thin showers of rain, to wave and thank the gathering for their presence.

Also Sri Lanka Freedom Party General Secretary and Agriculture Development and Agrarian Services Minister Maithreepala Sirisena delivered the welcome speech, he vowed that the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance will be in power for another 20 years. He further added that SLFP would not allow the United National Party or the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna to halt by covert or overt means the country’s development process which was started by the UPFA government.

Prime Minister Rathnasiri Wickremenayake, Plantation Industries Minister D. M. Jayaratne, Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, SLFP Senior Vice Chairman Vinayagamoorthi Muralitharan, Urban Development and Sacred Area Development Minister Dinesh Gunawardene and Petroleum and Petroleum Resources Development Minister A.H.M.Fowzie proposed resolutions on national economy, national integration, and international affairs and all were adopted unanimously.

- Asian Tribune -