The presidential election would provide opportunity for North voters to exercise franchise freely

The decision to hold the presidential election two years ahead of my first term was prompted by the fact that people in the North should have an unadulterated mode to exercise universal franchise which the people of North claimed deprived at the previous occasion due to the threat of LTTE terrorism, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said.

' I have been assigned by the people of this country to unite the nation, protect the sovereignty'; the President said adding that “I have accomplished that wish of the people of this nation during the past four years as the President of this country”, President at a meeting with Heads of Print and Electronic media stations and institutions observed this morning (24) at Temple Trees.

Elaborating on the challenges that he had to face since he assumed duties as the President, he said that the biggest achievement was the defeat the deadliest extremists who were waging a war with several Governments for the past three decades.

President Rajapaksa said that with the successful elimination of terrorism, the country has entered into a new era of development with massive a development drive implemented in every corner of the country.

“The global financial recession affected many countries in the world, even the countries with a stable economical formation straggled to come out of its impact , but we managed to minimize the negative impact of the global financial meltdown due to our strong economic policies,” the President said.

'I have firmly embedded into the path of bringing all Sri Lankans a society with equal rights and justice, the President said adding that all changes should comply with the existing constitutional provisions.

President answering the queries raised by journalists said that the culprits responsible for the killing of Journalist Lasantha Wickramathunge will be revealed with the completion of the investigations pertaining to the incident.

The President said that he rejected the notion of engaging in violence to achieve goals and said that he will not let such incidents to occur in the future.

President Rajapaksa also expressed hope and urged journalists to engage in their profession in a responsible manner with a more realistic approach in keeping the public of this country informed.

Speaking on this occassion, Senior Advisor to the President, Parliamentarian, Basil Rajapaksa noted that the resettled displaced persons in the North, will be given the privilege to vote at the upcoming election.

He noted that the remaining persons in the Northern transitional centers will be resettled by 31st January 2010.

- ASian Tribune -