President Mahinda Rajapaksa said yesterday that accusations of him being "a man in a hurry", were unfounded because the Eastern people are on the verge of voting at a Provincial Election for the first time in twenty years.

Participating in an interaction with people in Kinniya from Temple Trees via satellite last night, Rajapaksa said that if he was in fact "a man in hurry" it was not a bad thing, because "the East had been cleared of the LTTE and people are enjoying the fruits of democracy. They will also be exercising their franchise in four days time."

How can anyone say that I am a man in hurry, he queried. "The eastern people have waited for twenty years for an opportunity to exercise their democratic rights .Can this be described as being in a hurry?"

Rajapakse, said that he has also been described as an "extremist" but on becoming President, sent peace delegations to talk to the LTTE. "Negotiations were attempted even in the case of the Mawil Aru Anicut dispute but that was spurned as well."

Replying to questions by moderators stationed both at Temple Trees and in Kinniya, Rajapakse said that continued criticism of the TMVP or the Pillaiyan Group was unfair because they have entered the democratic mainstream."

"One must not forget that those in the Pillaiyan Group are also people of my country. They should be given an opportunity to correct themselves. Even among my ministers there are those who earlier who took up arms. We will simillarly liberate the North and establish democracy there as well."

Questioned about criticism from certain sections of the opposition about demerging the North - East,Rajapakse queried if he should do as Ranil Wickremesinghe says and hand over the entire region to the LTTE.

"How can you serve people effectively without decentralising the administration. A little while ago a woman from Lahugela wanted me to establish a Samurdhi Bank in her area because she presently has to travel a distance of 38 kilometers to Panama where the Samurdhi Bank is situated. The EPEC will install elected representatives and institutions that can serve the people from closer home."