President at Poramadulla

KANDY - If the remaining LTTE terrorists do not lay down arms they will definitely be vanquished. No one, however powerful he may be, can stop it, President Mahinda Rajapaksa declared at a meeting at Poramadulla near Hanguranketha on Sunday.

Those who gave up arms in the East and recently in Kilinochchi, were accorded a warm welcome by the security forces. Similarly, those who are close to LTTE leader Prabhakaran who surrender, will be welcomed and offered humane treatment, President Rajapaksa said. He was speaking in support of the candidate of the UPFA team of the Nuwara Eliya district at the Central Provincial Council Election.

The remaining group of LTTE terrorists in Mullaitivu were given 48 hours to lay down their arms and surrender. If they fail to respond they will be subjugated, he said.

"Responding to a call after the fall of Kilinochchi to our forces, a group of Prabhakaran’s men surrendered. They were accorded a warm welcome with ‘king coconut’ to quench their thirst," he said.

At the time of the Presidential election, the President said, the Mahinda Chinthana ensured fulfilment of two principal promises. One was to free the country from LTTE terrorism and the other an effective development programme.

President said that both assurances were successfully implemented. Fighting terrorism was in the final lap while several major development projects are in progress.

He said, it was now the duty of the people to extend their support to the government to complete the mission without disruption. The patriotic war heroes would definitely root out terrorism before long. The people will soon honour the war heroes by flying the Lion Flag over the length and breadth of the country from Devundara Thuduwa to Peduru Thuduwa, he said.

The grateful and patriotic people of the country without doubt will vote for the betel leaf and make their marks against three candidates in the fray on February 14.

While the masses are ready to bring the UPFA to power at the two provincial election, many front-liners of the United National Party (UNP) are leaving the party to support the UPFA. The UNP stalwarts are leaving their much loved political party expressing their appreciation and approval of the policies of the UPFA led government.

"There is a rush at the entrance to our group. We welcome all those who express willingness to join us. Our gates are open to them".

"We have not limited our responsibilities only to the defeat almost thirty year of terrorism. We have launched a number of development projects".

"If not for the completion of the Kerawalapitiya power project, the country would have gone into a power cut in 2009. Many more projects like Upper-Kotmale, Norochchole and Moragahakanda are in progress. Iran is assisting the Uma Oya project."

The people in the north must be freed from the grip of the terrorists. We are not causing any injustice or harming any Tamils. We are attempting to relieve the Tamil citizens from the forced control of the LTTE terrorists.

"The terrorists deprive the Tamils in the north of their legitimate rights. The children of school-going age are forced carry T56 weapons on the shoulders and have cyanide hung from the necks. The innocent children are deprived of the right to education that is enjoyed by their counterparts in the south. As a father of three children I cannot tolerate this situation."

Leader of the National Freedom Front (NFF) Wimal Weerawansa told the meeting that UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe was losing his popularity among his own party leaders.

The Chief Ministerial candidate of the Central Provincial Council election S. B. Dissanayake had not printed the picture of Ranil Wickremesinghe in his posters fearing that he would lose more votes.

Weerawana said, if Ranil Wickremesinghe had been in power, now Prabhakaran could not have been captured by the government security forces. During the short period Wickremesinghe was in power, so called peacemakers like Solhime and Bowser visited Prabhakaran in Kilinochchi at least twice day.

Ministers Nimal Siripala de Silva, Dr. Mervyn Silva, Pavithra Wanniarachchi, C. B. Ratnayake and several others spoke.

Minister Kumar Welgama was present.